A call for ethical use of AI in Earth system science

Artificial intelligence holds vast potential to help solve a number of challenging problems in Earth system science, from improving prediction of severe weather events to increasing the efficiency of climate models. But as in all AI applications, the use of machine learning and other techniques in environmental science has the potential to introduce biases that could deepen inequities. The authors of a new paper published in the journal Environmental Data Science argue that researchers must develop ethical, responsible, and trustworthy approaches to applying AI in Earth system science to ensure that unintentional consequences do not worsen environmental and climate injustice. "It's really exciting to see all the ways researchers are finding to creatively apply artificial intelligence in weather, climate, and other environmental science research," said David John Gagne, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and a paper co-author. "But we have a responsibility to ensure that we don't cause more harm than good."