With the confirmation of the release of an AI-based weather forecasting model that can anticipate subtle changes in the weather, Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is taking a bigger step into the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Known as the Scalable Ensemble Envelope Diffusion Sampler (SEEDS), Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) model is remarkably similar to other diffusion models and popular large language models (LLMs).
In a paper published in Science Advances, it is stated that SEEDS is capable of producing ensembles of weather forecasts at a scale that surpasses that of conventional forecasting systems. The artificial intelligence system uses probabilistic diffusion models, which are similar to image and video generators like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion.
The announcement said, “We present SEEDS, [a] new AI technology to accelerate and improve weather forecasts using diffusion models.” “Using SEEDS, the computational cost of creating ensemble forecasts and improving the characterization of uncommon or extreme weather events can be significantly reduced.”
Google’s cutting-edge denoising diffusion probabilistic models, which enable it to produce accurate weather forecasts, set SEEDS apart. According to the research paper, SEEDS can generate a large pool of predictions with just one forecast from a reliable numerical weather prediction system.
When compared to weather prediction systems based on physics, SEEDS predictions show better results based on metrics such as root-mean-square error (RMSE), rank histogram, and continuous ranked probability score (CRPS).
In addition to producing better results, the report characterizes the computational cost of the model as “negligible,” meaning it cannot be compared to traditional models. According to Google Research, SEEDS offers the benefits of scalability while covering extreme events like heat waves better than its competitors.
The report stated, “Specifically, by providing samples of weather states exceeding a given threshold for any user-defined diagnostic, our highly scalable generative approach enables the creation of very large ensembles that can characterize very rare events.”
Using Technology to Protect the Environment
Many environmentalists have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) since it became widely available to further their efforts to save the environment. AI models are being used by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to forecast weather patterns in an effort to mitigate the effects of pollution.
With its meteorological department eager to use cutting-edge technologies to forecast weather events like flash floods and droughts, India is likewise traveling down the same route. Equipped with cutting-edge advancements, Australia-based nonprofit ClimateForce, in collaboration with NTT Group, says it will employ artificial intelligence (AI) to protect the Daintree rainforest’s ecological equilibrium.