Weather & Science
AI ‘Scientists’ Help Human Ones Answer Urgent Climate Questions
Researchers are using the powerful technology to learn more about local effects of climate change, oceans, clouds and more.
Scientists are turning to AI to learn more about the dynamics of cloud formation.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergAs temperatures in recent years broke historical records, Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist with the research nonprofit Berkeley Earth, tried to find words to describe the heat, settling on “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas.” He also sought new ways to visualize it. Hausfather created his own graphics, including a striking “tree ring plot,” with the help of a brainstorming and coding assistant: ChatGPT.
“It’s interesting, in part, because it’s not what I would’ve expected AI to be good at,” Hausfather said.