Most stars have planets, with over 6,000 exoplanets discovered so far, suggesting countless potentially habitable worlds in the Universe.
Despite searching for evidence of alien civilizations, none has been found, leading to various theories: life may not exist, Earth is in a "cosmic zoo", civilizations self-destruct, or humanity is the first.
Related ideas include the possibility of aliens intercepting our radio communications, as suggested by a NASA study.
A new paper re-examines Carl Sagan's ideas, proposing that advanced civilizations may become "invisible" due to AI.
None of the existing theories are provable or satisfactory, making the AI hypothesis a notable addition to the discussion.
Author's summary: Alien AI may render civilizations invisible.