Launching AI into space

This link leads to one of the most interesting things I’ve seen in AI recently.

What’s cookin’? Google is sending its AI chips into space to see if future AI data centers could operate in orbit. On October 1, a satellite carrying Google’s Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs, is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is part of Project Suncatcher, Google’s early effort to test whether satellites could someday handle AI computing instead of relying entirely on massive data centers on Earth. The company wants to see how its chips perform during launch and whether they can survive radiation, extreme temperatures, and other harsh conditions in space. Google is also testing ways to keep the processors cool, which is a major challenge. Right now, the chips may only be able to run for about 15 minutes before they need to shut down and cool off.

🤔 Hunter’s take: The important part here isn’t one satellite. It’s what Google is testing for the future. AI companies need more electricity, cooling, and physical space as their systems grow. If computing can eventually move into orbit and use solar power, space could become another place to build the infrastructure powering AI.

What’s cookin’? SpaceXAI launched Grok 4.7, its new flagship model aimed at coding and professional knowledge work. The biggest upgrade isn’t just raw intelligence — it’s endurance. Grok 4.7 was trained more heavily on difficult tasks that can take hours to complete, while getting better at checking its own work and handling longer projects without losing the plot. It improved significantly over Grok 4.6 on coding, engineering, legal, and multi-hour office-work benchmarks.

🤔 Hunter’s take: This is cool, and it highlights the trend that development is becoming less “Which model gives the smartest answer?” and more “Which model can actually finish the job?” As AI gets better at working autonomously for hours — researching, coding, checking mistakes, and producing finished work — price and reliability start mattering just as much as intelligence.

Here’s your chance to get a straightforward answer, from an expert in the field.

Hi — I’m Hunter, a PhD candidate whose work has appeared in major academic journals and popular tech outlets. I founded FryAI to make staying ahead of AI clear, accessible, and fun.