How an AI tool can make weather forecasts more accurate and help tackle climate change
- At the COP28, NASA and IBM introduced an AI tool called watsonx.ai on the open-source AI platform Hugging Space.
- The tool helps users monitor Earth from space, while also estimating past and future environmental changes.
AI in Weather Forecasting
- A key factor in understanding and combating climate change rests in our ability to predict weather patterns.
- Weather models today base their predictions on massive computing simulations that run on interpreted data.
- However, access to that data is hard to come by and analysing the data is an ever-harder task.
- AI, specifically deep-learning models, helps interpret massive climate data sets, making predictions more accurate and faster.
watsonx.ai Functionality
- The tool utilizes NASA's data and IBM's AI technology to understand and estimate environmental changes.
- Beta tests showed a 15% improvement in mapping flood and burn scars over the continental United States with half the labelled data.
- Designed to be user-friendly, it requires users to select a location and date.
- And the model will highlight changes in floodwater, reforestation efforts and other relevant factors.
watsonx.ai Potential
- Potential to minimise data cleaning and labelling for deep-learning models, speeding up geographical analysis by three to four times.
- May enhance weather forecasting accuracy, aiding in anticipating hurricanes, droughts, and catastrophic weather occurrences.
- Applications include disaster response, infrastructure development, and environmental safeguarding.
- Applicability extends to businesses, helping disaster response teams and supply chain logistics companies.
AI's Role in Climate Change Strategies
- BCG AI Survey Report: 87% of private and public sector CEOs believe that AI is an essential tool in the fight against climate change
- In transportation, AI-enabled vehicles can minimise energy use through efficient route mapping.
- In agriculture, AI optimises crop irrigation, reducing water wastage and increasing productivity.
- AI may also be used to
- Rssess emissions at the macro and micro levels
- Cut emissions and the impacts of greenhouse gases
- Remove already-existing emissions from the environment
- According to BCG’s experience, AI may be utilised to help cut greenhouse gas emissions by five to 10% of an organisation’s carbon footprint.
Conclusion
- AI, exemplified by tools like watsonx.ai, emerges as a valuable ally in addressing climate change.
- This offers faster and more accurate insights into environmental changes and supports a range of applications from disaster response to sustainable agriculture.