Using AI, ML Will Help the Government Tackle Climate Change, Experts Say

The frequency and magnitude of natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods has been growing for a number of years. Panelists for the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center's Jan. 26 webinar "Leveraging Predictive Analytics to Address Climate Change Issues" discussed how the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning can provide both short- and long-term guidance for decisionmakers considering how to ameliorate impacts. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2021 there were 20 weather and climate disaster events that incurred losses of more than $1 billion each. From 1980 to 2021, the annual average was 7.4 events (adjusted for inflation), but from 2017 to 2021, the most recent five years, the average number of events was 17.2 (adjusted for inflation). In short, the problem is getting worse, and faster.