In brief The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), which set sail this week from the UK to the US, failed just three days into its journey. It appears a mechanical fault occurred, something the Mayflower’s AI can’t fix itself.
Oh no – bit of a mechanical problem with @AI_Mayflower. She’s safe but is clearly out of sorts. We are going back to base to investigate. We’ll hopefully be turned around again soon. Thanks for your support!
— Artie the Octopus (@ArtieHas7Legs) June 18, 2021
Netizens, eager to track the computer-controlled, human-less Mayflower’s progress from its online dashboard, realized something was up when the live video stream from the ship was turned off. The official Twitter account for the vessel confirmed that its “non-essential systems” have been temporarily powered down to conserve energy.
With no one onboard to fix it, the craft has been directed to slowly return to base, where it’s hoped it can be repaired.
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