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China has unveiled its first satellite, WJ-1A, which incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) at its core. Developed by WonderJourney, the satellite features a smart operating system and is set to go into operation in the near future.

Inspired by the concept of the “universe” introduced by ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, WonderJourney chose the name to reflect its belief in the potential of AI to explore boundless possibilities. The satellite’s main task currently involves system testing, with the aim of running and validating various intelligent applications to assess their efficiency in orbit.

These applications range from connecting with future smart cars and drones to monitoring environmental conditions, such as forest fire locations, soil moisture, and pest disease outbreaks. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, near-infrared cameras, and VR panoramic cameras, WJ-1A is capable of image processing, including forest and ocean recognition, target identification, lossless compression, and data cleaning.

In terms of capabilities, the satellite can analyze a vast area of 10,000 sq km (3,860 square miles) and achieve dynamic object tracking in just a few hours, a task that typically takes traditional satellites around 180 days. WJ-1A maintains communication with the ground and additional functions are being uploaded to enhance its capabilities.

WonderJourney aims for the satellite, named “String,” to become an “AI assistant in space.” Similar to science fiction, users on the ground will be able to interact with it like how they communicate with AI programs such as ChatGPT. The company hopes that the satellite will continue learning autonomously, warning about situations that cannot be analyzed from Earth’s surface.

Apart from space exploration, the technology has potential applications in emergency response. Real-time data processing would allow the satellite to promptly inform ground control about disasters like landslides, road collapses, or areas affected by typhoons. It can also investigate crop planting areas, water pollution, and illegal logging.

While the onboard intelligent processing unit currently has a speed of 80 trillion operations per second (TOPS), the company aims to increase it to over 100 TOPS by the end of the year. WonderJourney has been working with partners to explore new possibilities and applicable algorithms in the field of AI, as well as train talent in this area.

Future plans include expanding the WonderJourney constellation to 20 satellites by the end of 2024 in collaboration with its partners, thereby increasing coverage and communication efficiency. China’s leap in AI technology with the launch of WJ-1A marks a significant milestone in advancing satellite capabilities and the potential for human interaction with spacecraft.

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