Future astronauts could travel with emotional support robots

AI-powered, empathetic robotic assistants are potentially life-saving for astronauts. — AFP Relaxnews

To help astronauts of the future survive the mental challenges that come with residing in space for extended periods of time, space travelers' missions could soon be accompanied by AI-powered, empathetic robotic assistants.

Not only does space travel present astronauts with a slew of physical strains and stresses, spending months or years in such a physically demanding place with limited space and the same people can also raise an abundance of mental tests as well. According to MIT Technology Review, scientists are working to alleviate astronauts from some of the latter challenges by creating "an AI assistant that's able to intuit human emotion and respond with empathy."