NASA and IBM have joined forces to pioneer an AI-driven weather model aimed at revolutionizing climate forecasting and understanding climate change, drawing from insights and technologies harnessed from their respective domains.
The partnership aims to create an AI foundation model that stands apart from existing technologies, promising substantial advancements in precision, speed, and comprehension of climate phenomena.
ATLANTIC OCEAN - SEPTEMBER 10: In this NASA handout image taken by Astronaut Ricky Arnold, Hurricane Florence gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean as it moves west, seen from the International Space Station on September 10, 2018. Weather predictions say the storm will likely hit the U.S. East Coast as early as Thursday, September 13 bringing massive winds and rain.
IBM and NASA to Launch AI Model for Climate Forecasting
According to Engadget, the proposed AI model is set to transcend the boundaries of traditional forecasting by incorporating fundamental physics, promising a significant leap forward in accuracy.
Unlike current AI emulators like GraphCast and Fourcastnet, this model will serve as a foundational technology capable of encoding the physics intrinsic to weather forecasting.
IBM underscores the importance of this distinction, indicating that existing emulators lack the capacity to extend their applications beyond their training data's scope or encapsulate the core physics of weather forecasting.
Next-Gen AI Weather Model
The collaborative effort between NASA and IBM aims to achieve several milestones, including expanded accessibility, swifter inference times, and a broader array of data diversity for enhanced forecasting accuracy.
This AI foundation model's projected capabilities encompass predicting meteorological phenomena, extrapolating high-resolution information from low-resolution data, and discerning conditions conducive to phenomena such as airplane turbulence and wildfires.
Moreover, a recent IBM statement highlights the application of geospatial AI technologies in addressing climate challenges. Notably, the collaboration with Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi involves analyzing urban heat islands in the UAE.
This endeavor utilizes a fine-tuned version of IBM's geospatial foundation model to comprehend urban heat islands' formation, potentially mitigating their adverse effects.
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More IBM Partnerships Tapping AI, COP28
In a similar vein, the partnership with the Government of Kenya focuses on leveraging AI to support reforestation efforts. Using IBM's geospatial foundation model, this initiative aims to track and visualize tree planting activities, primarily in critical water tower areas facing water scarcity issues. This aligns with Kenya's ambitious National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign, which aims to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
The collaboration extends to the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council's Hartree Centre, where IBM's geospatial AI tools are employed to assess climate risks in the aviation sector.
The application will gauge both short-term and long-term impacts of extreme weather and climate change on aviation operations and infrastructure, accentuating the model's versatility across multiple sectors.
Additionally, expert insights from US author Parag Khanna and Stuart Russell, professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, shed light on the potential and limitations of AI in addressing climate challenges.
While acknowledging AI's usefulness in localized resilience measures, experts caution against overly relying on technology to combat the collective action problem of climate change.
As the much-anticipated Cop28 climate conference commences in Dubai, various entities converge to tackle the climate crisis. The conference's focus on leveraging AI for identifying climate solutions aligns with ongoing efforts exemplified by IBM's initiatives.
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