The AI2ES project

Artificial Intelligence for the Environmental Sciences

 

AI2ES

Artificial Intelligence for the Environmental Sciences (AI2ES)

AI2ES stands for "the NSF AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography."

Established by the National Science Foundation, AI2ES is a convergent center that will create trustworthy AI for environmental science, revolutionize prediction and understanding of high-impact weather and ocean hazards, and benefit society by protecting lives and property.  Leading experts from AI, atmospheric and ocean science, risk communication, and education, will work synergistically to develop and test trustworthy AI methods that will transform our understanding and prediction of the environment.  

Trust is a social phenomenon, and our integration of risk communication research across AI2ES activities provides an empirical foundation for developing user-informed, trustworthy AI by engaging and partnering with key environmental decision makers from communities that will be using the techniques developed.  

Our partnership of multiple academic institutions, NSF NCAR, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and private industry spans the full cycle of fundamental research into trustworthy AI, and enables rapid integration of trustworthy AI for increased societal impact. 

Environmental science provides a perfect testbed to advance trustworthy AI given its grounding in nature’s physical laws and conservation principles as well as the broad range of stakeholder feedback and high societal impact.

AI2ES broadening participation and workforce development activities fully integrate with AI2ES research on trustworthy AI, environmental science and risk communication. AI2ES will also develop AI/ES training for all levels of students, including K–12 outreach and modules, and online education modules that leverage our private industry’s existing educational resources and networks.  By leveraging private industry and existing successful internship programs, AI2ES will create a pipeline for students to gain valuable experience in AI/ES.