Harvard Harnesses AI to Automate the Search for Unidentified Anomalies in the Sky

Harvard University is utilizing artificial intelligence as part of the «Galileo» project to automate the search for unidentified anomalous phenomena. The project operates the Massachusetts observatory, equipped with infrared cameras, acoustic sensors, and radiofrequency analyzers, which continuously scan the sky for unusual objects.

Researchers Laura Domhain and Richard Kloethe are training machine learning algorithms to recognize common aerial phenomena—such as aircraft, birds, drones, and weather balloons—so that the system can identify anomalies that will be investigated by human analysts. The team employs a computer vision software known as YOLO (You Only Look Once) and has generated hundreds of thousands of synthetic images using open-source tool Blender to train their models. Currently, the software identifies only 36% of aircraft captured by infrared cameras, but the project authors assert that this figure highlights the rigor of their methodology.

The Pentagon is developing a similar initiative. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has reviewed over 1,800 reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena and classified 50 to 60 instances as «true anomalies» that scientists cannot explain. They have created their own sensor suite called Gremlin, using technology akin to that employed at Harvard’s observatory. Although details are classified, it is known that the system consists of radar, radio antennas, and telescopes that collect visual and infrared imagery while detecting electromagnetic radiation. Gremlin equipment is installed at national security sites across the U.S., where several unusual phenomena have been recorded.

In 2021, the Pentagon released a report detailing 143 UFO encounters that military personnel could not attribute to weather events or technologies from other nations. By 2023, the agency had received an additional 247 reports of «unidentified anomalous phenomena.»

In 2022, NASA announced it was forming an independent team of researchers to investigate unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). The agency intends to examine such phenomena from a scientific perspective but asserts that there is currently «no evidence of extraterrestrial origins of UAP.»

In 2023, AARO and Harvard University stated in a new paper that they have observed «highly maneuverable» UFOs that seemingly defy the laws of physics. When traveling at extremely high speeds, they should generate a bright glow from friction with air or water, yet at times, this does not occur. Researchers suggest that their instruments may simply lack the sensitivity and precision needed to understand the nature of these phenomena. Additionally, the absence of such signs may be attributed to inaccuracies in measuring the distance and speed of the objects.