Is AI distorting our view of the Milky Way’s black hole?
A new AI model reveals Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way’s central black hole, may be spinning rapidly — but experts warn poor data could distort the results.
A new AI model has created a fresh image of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, suggesting it is spinning close to its maximum speed.
The model was trained on noisy data from the Event Horizon Telescope, a globe-spanning network of radio telescopes, using information once dismissed due to atmospheric interference.
Researchers believe this AI-enhanced image shows the black hole’s rotational axis pointing towards Earth, offering potential insights into how radiation and matter behave near such cosmic giants.
By using previously considered unusable data, scientists hope to improve our understanding of black hole dynamics.
However, not all physicists are confident in the results.
Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel has voiced concern over the reliability of models built on compromised data, stressing that AI should not be treated as a miracle fix. He warned that the new image might be distorted due to the poor quality of its underlying information.
The researchers plan to test their model against newer and more reliable data to address these concerns. Their goal is to refine the AI further and provide more accurate simulations of black holes in the future.
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