Let’s Talk Tech #7: Datacentres in space, Living robots, and Autonomous cars

Let’s Talk Tech, the Orange newsletter for in-depth reporting on scientific innovations that will shape tomorrow’s world.

#SPACE – Will we soon see sovereign datacentres in outer space?

How can Europe guarantee digital sovereignty without overloading electricity grids? The answer just might be… datacentres in outer space! In June of this year, Thales Alenia Space revealed the results of its Ascend study on the feasibility of putting datacentres in orbit. Space-based datacentres could offer certain advantages in terms of digital sovereignty and emissions-free operation. However, their deployment will depend on the successful development of a launcher that is ten times less emissive than the current state of the art. The next steps for the project include technology demonstration programmes in the run-up to the launch of a proof of concept in 2031, and the deployment of the first space-based datacentres starting in 2036 with the objective of reaching of 1GW of extra-terrestrial computing power by 2050.

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#TRUST - Will AI lead to a crisis of confidence?

Could AI lead to the erasure of trust between individuals, who are increasingly dependent on technology? This is one of the arguments put forward by Tom Chatfield, whose latest book Wise Animals — How Technology has made us what we are (Picador, 2024) explores the co-evolution of humanity and technology. The British philosopher warns against surging enthusiasm for AI: “Is ChatGPT-5 going to change the world or will it just offer an incremental improvement? We don’t know.” More caution is needed in our approach to the new technology: “We talk a lot about functionality, technological efficiency, etc., but not necessarily about its intersection with children’s education, culture, art, emotions, etc.”

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#DRIVING – Autonomous cars: five levels of automation

Advanced driver assistance systems are a feature of today’s cars, but did you know that there is an internationally recognized scale levels of automation? In this video, Antoine Lafay, the director of driving software systems and innovation at Valeo, explains that on level one, the driver remains in charge while the system provides assistance on a single dimension like longitudinal control (acceleration and braking). However, vehicles on level four, which can cope independently within well-defined areas of operation, do not necessarily need a human driver. For now, level five or full autonomy under any conditions anywhere in the world, remains a work in progress.

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#ALIVE – More flexible and environmentally friendly: bring on the biohybrid robots!

Biohybrid robotics aims to integrate living tissue in robotic systems to create devices that are more flexible, silent, biodegradable, and capable of self-healing. However, to achieve these goals, makers of these 21st-century marvels will have to overcome major challenges: artificial muscles are very difficult to grow at scale and researchers do not yet know how to provide them with nutrients outside of the laboratory. Recent progress in the field has been assisted by machine learning, which “can help us choose the right cells and input parameters to optimise the fabrication process,” points out Miriam Filippi, biohybrid robotics group leader at ETH Zurich’s soft robotics lab (Switzerland). The researcher adds: “We are making progress in as much as we are getting better at replicating what nature does.”

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#REFORESTATION – AI assisted drones to restore forest ecosystems

It’s a wild gamble but an ambitious one: French start-up Morfo has developed computer-vision tools and drones that sow capsules of mixed seeds to facilitate the customization and scale-up of reforestation projects. “Reforestation initiatives that are underway often involve monoculture tree plantations whereas projects to restore complete, complex ecosystems are what is required. Before going to work, we have to fully understand these. At the same time, there is a need for tools to monitor the progress of reforestation, which is not always easy in inaccessible areas,” explains Adrien Pages, one of the cofounders of Morfo.