NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence. The demonstration hints at a future of more efficient exploration and even more science. “The fundamental elements of generative AI are showing a lot of promise in streamlining the pillars of autonomous navigation for off-planet driving: perception (seeing the rocks and ripples), localization (knowing where we are), and planning and control (deciding and executing the safe

Perseverance just did something it’s never done before. On Dec. 8 and 10, 2025, the Mars rover completed drives planned by AI – not human mission planners. In a first-of-its-kind demonstration, generative AI created navigation waypoints for the rover, a complex decision-making task typically done by teams on Earth. The test hints at a future where planetary exploration is more efficient and delivers even more science. Learn more: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-completes-f