NASA Deploys AI To Drive Perseverance Rover

NASA used Anthropic's Claude models in early December 2025 to map and autonomously direct the Perseverance rover on two trial drives, covering 689 feet on December 8 and 807 feet two days later. The system generated waypoint routes from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter imagery, avoiding hazards. The success suggests AI can speed route planning and reduce human operator workload, while staff remain needed to verify AI-generated paths.