The hardware and software people who constructed and manage Curiosity are probably not getting paid enough for what they do.
Google AI:
The Mars rovers, like Curiosity and Perseverance, have 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM. They also have 2 gigabytes (GB) of flash memory for storage, according to CNET. These rovers use a radiation-hardened BAE RAD750 microchip, operating at up to 200 megahertz.
256 MB? They should have had at least a gig or more...............
In my experience with this sort of thing, that would be the last thing that motivates them.