Can AI Detect Life? Lessons from Artificial Life

arXiv:2604.11915v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Modern machine learning methods have been proposed to detect life in extraterrestrial samples, drawing on their ability to distinguish biotic from abiotic samples based on training models using natural and synthetic organic molecular mixtures. Here we show using Artificial Life that such methods are easily fooled into detecting life with near 100% confidence even if the analyzed sample is not capable of life. This is due to modern machine learnin