An artificial intelligence (AI) developed by Google can predict the weather for a 15-day period with unmatched accuracy, potentially saving lives amidst the increasing frequency of climate disasters, the American internet giant announced on Wednesday.
The GenCast model, created by DeepMind, Google's London-based AI research lab, "has shown better forecasting capabilities" than the current benchmark model, according to Google. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts currently produces forecasts for 35 countries and is considered the global standard for weather accuracy. However, GenCast reportedly surpasses the center's prediction accuracy in over 97% of the 1,320 climate disasters recorded in 2019 that were tested against both models.
Developed over four decades from 1979 to 2018 using various data, such as temperature, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure, Google's model can generate a 15-day forecast in just eight minutes, compared to the several hours currently required. Scientists have warned that extreme weather conditions are becoming increasingly frequent and severe due to human-induced climate change.
