The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) under the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) recently released a new version of the Declaration of Principles for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, which for the first time in 15 years systematically revised the operational guidelines that the scientific community should abide by when "discovering", "verifying" and "publicly announcing" evidence of extraterrestrial civilization. The committee noted in its latest document that this update is a direct response to profound changes in the current media environment - false content generated by artificial intelligence, unsubstantiated claims of the discovery of "alien technology" and instantaneous dissemination on social networks have made it too easy to "just call aliens".
The new version of the "post-mortem detection" protocol emphasizes information transparency and scientific rigor, and makes more detailed provisions on the procedures that astronomers must follow when they may first contact extraterrestrial intelligence. At the same time, it attempts to deal with the real challenge of eroding the credibility of scientific research in the "post-truth era". Steven Desch, a professor of astrophysics at Arizona State University, called the revision a "welcome development" in an interview with the media and admitted that we have been "inundated with a lot of misinformation."
With the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s large-scale sky survey project LSST and the SETI Institute’s “Breakthrough Listen” and other programs continuing to scan the starry sky, many scientists believe that it is only a matter of time before alien intelligence is discovered. This revision of the SETI Committee is precisely to prepare global scientific researchers in systems and procedures for this possible "first-hand extraterrestrial contact". The core principles of the new manifesto, led by Michael Garrett, an astronomer at the University of Manchester, still follow Carl Sagan's well-known adage - "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
The document, known as the Declaration of Principles for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, covers guiding principles for issues ranging from the initial discovery of signals, verification and disclosure of evidence, to issues such as online harassment and doxxing of scientists. Garrett pointed out: "The information environment we live in today is much more complex than it was in 2010. In an era of deep fakes, automated disinformation, and instantaneous global spread, an unsubstantiated claim can cause confusion and even panic." He emphasized that the purpose of the new agreement is to ensure that scientists when faced with evidence of suspected extraterrestrial civilization must adhere to the highest standards of evidence before making any announcement to the public.
At a specific operational level, the revised agreement clearly stipulates what should be done when astronomers find unusual signals or "artifacts" in the data that may point to extraterrestrial intelligence. SETI emphasized in its statement that no one may make an announcement to the public about the "discovery of extraterrestrial civilization" before the signals or physical evidence have been independently verified by different agencies and using different instruments. In other words, at least another observatory must confirm the observation results and submit all the data for peer review before it can be qualified to publicly claim the discovery.
The new version of the agreement not only stipulates how to verify and share discovery results, but also sets red lines on the sensitive issue of "how to respond to active contacts from alien civilizations." One of the key principles is that "responses to alien intelligence should not be left to the sole discretion of any single SETI researcher or team." The declaration clearly stated the consensus of "no reply for the time being" and wrote: "Sending a response to extraterrestrial intelligence is a collective decision-making for all mankind." If a scientist or institution confirms that they have received information from extraterrestrial civilizations, the document recommends that they report to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the United Nations will decide whether and how to conduct further contact after consultation at the international level.
In addition to providing operational guidance for astronomers, the new agreement is also seen as a reminder to the scientific community that "truth" must be put before "gimmicks" in the dissemination of information. Although the document does not name Harvard professor Avi Loeb, part of Garrett's statement almost directly refers to a series of high-profile remarks made by Loeb in recent years. As early as 2019, Loeb publicly claimed that the interstellar object 'Oumuamua was composed of alien technology, and then made similar speculations about interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, triggering continued criticism from the academic community.
Garrett said in the declaration: "We don't immediately shout 'alien' when we see a strange signal. The scientific method requires us to check it repeatedly and then invite others to check it. Only when we form a consensus that the signal is reliable will it be announced to the world." According to one of Loeb's fiercest critics, Steven Desch, Loeb has "learned to profit in the new post-truth attention economy" and uses today's media ecology to gain attention with sensational remarks. Daisch admitted that he was not sure whether the new agreement was aimed at Loeb personally or the entire cultural environment. "But the congressional hearings on UFOs and the government's release of a large number of so-called UFO documents clearly occupy an important place in many people's minds, and I do not rule out that the agreement is a direct response to these phenomena."
Daisch also pointed out that Loeb is not the only scientist who "inclines toward sensationalism." He cited as an example that Nikku Madhusudhan's team at the University of Cambridge had observed possible chemical signatures of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the atmosphere of the exoplanet K2-18b. Some related press releases were "far more cautious than they should be" in their statements, and the astronomical community generally believed that Madhusudhan had a tendency to "add fuel to the fire" in public communication. Daisch also emphasized that no one accused these teams of "fabricating data", but in an environment of "ubiquitous media attention", it is "too easy" to "follow the trend of sensationalism".
In his view, the most important significance of the new version of the IAA–SETI protocol is to increase the pre-requisite rigorous review for future scientific research publication and dissemination. "The best approach is to increase the strict control of evidence and presentation before the paper is accepted." Daisch said, "This is the spirit of the new agreement: be extra careful when speaking." SETI emphasized that the new version of the declaration is a consensus document formed after multi-party consultation, aiming to provide a "first draft of bureaucratic procedures at the cosmic level" for possible future contact with extraterrestrial civilizations, while also maintaining the bottom line of rationality and integrity for the scientific community in the "attention economy" and "post-truth era."