Using facial recognition technology for hailstorms

Technology similar to what Facebook uses for recommending what friends you should "tag" may soon be coming to hailstorms. David Gagne, a machine learning scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, is using facial recognition technology to unlock the secrets behind big hail. "I'm using artificial intelligence techniques to predict the size of hailstorms," explained Gagne. Working with computer-simulated storms, he created software that is trained to determine which storms produce hail and then to recognize patterns associated with the storms behind the largest hailstones. "The shape of storms is really important."