The National Academy of Sciences has kicked off a new webinar series exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform weather and Earth systems modeling. The inaugural session, AI for Emulation: Weather & Earth Systems Modeling, examined the rapidly growing role of AI in climate forecasting and its potential to reshape decision-making in the face of escalating climate risks.
Speakers emphasized that AI is opening new opportunities to enhance prediction accuracy, expand the usability of forecasts, and enable more targeted and equitable responses to extreme weather and long-term climate change. A central focus of the discussion was the difference between traditional simulation and emerging AI-driven emulation — and how combining the two could unlock deeper insights into future climate events.
Panelists also addressed the technical hurdles of integrating AI into Earth system models, from data quality and model transparency to computational capacity. Despite these challenges, the session highlighted promising applications already underway, including AI-powered tools for faster storm prediction, localized climate risk modeling, and more adaptive emergency response planning.
The webinar concluded with a moderated discussion on potential solutions to these technical barriers, underscoring the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration between climate scientists, computer scientists, engineers, and policymakers.
This event marks the first in a broader AI for Weather & Climate Forecasting Webinar Series, organized by the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences and the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, in collaboration with the Division on Earth and Life Studies and the Polar Research Board. It is part of a wider slate of Academy initiatives that also include the upcoming workshop Accelerating Climate Progress with AI: From Science to Action and the ongoing Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change.
Throughout the year, the National Academies convene hundreds of conferences, workshops, and symposia that bring together leading voices from academia, government, and industry to tackle pressing global challenges. This new series highlights the growing recognition that AI will play a central role in advancing both the science of forecasting and the practice of building resilience to climate extremes.
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