I have programmed and repaired assembly line robots. I gave modified the software on commercual A.I. production machines. They are impressive, but limited in their ability to handle new things.
I wrote a post abouf the loss of the Martian rover due to a dust storm. She lost power, due to the duration if the storm. When thd storm passed, she no longer knew where the Earth was, and no longer reports in. She went way passed mission, and did a lot more than designed, mission succsss for sure! If there were a manned presence there, she could be contacted locally, reprogrammed, and go back to work. Her data on weather alone, while unplanned, was worth many times the mission cost. A single repair outpost, could keep hundreds of units running....
I posted this, because in my consulting business, I get monthly publications from NASA called tech briefs. There are other trade magazines (COTS, DARPA, and military aviation) that come here too, sometimes more reading than I have time to read.
I love tech, and I believe in it's utility. Sadly, I have had to repair and modify too many systems to believe we are to the autonomous point. They did have 2 A I. Vehicles finish the DARPA race this year in the Baha (first time), one with decent time!
I built a test unit with a self calibrating A.I.; and the FDA had a fit! I had to add a manual calibration override, before they would allow it's use.
I love thd machinery, but the Moon presents a unique opportunity to develop machines for Mars, because if we screw up, in a couple of weeks ( instead of 7 tk 12 months) , we can send supplies. We can also extract fuel for a Mars mission directly from the Moon, with a much smaller gravity well.
Eventually, distributed computing in nodes, will allow broad data collection by tiny robots to a central up link facility. The Moon needs to be a development lab, as well as a colony; as fast as possible.
I will look up Elon Musk, always like new information, thanks!
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RE: NASA is back on track to colonize the moon, by destroying some grains of moon material brought back by Apollo 17.