Question Period Note: Artificial Intelligence and Weather Forecasting

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging approach to help meteorologists generate and analyze weather prediction information. Environment and Climate Change Canada is exploring opportunities for machine learning to improve service delivery to Canadians.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly transforming the models that are used for weather and environmental forecasting.
• Along with other meteorological centers around the world, we are exploring the potential of AI to complement and improve current forecast models.
• Canada is looking at opportunities for AI to provide earlier warnings of weather and environmental events and their impacts, as well as to update forecasts in a near-real time. This could include integrating AI in weather prediction systems, working with current models.

• ECCC has been investing in artificial intelligence and machine learning research and development for meteorology in recent years.
• Research in this area is rapidly advancing around the world, and scientists at ECCC are actively communicating and collaborating with colleagues in other institutions to ensure they are connected to and benefit from the latest developments.
• ECCC is committed to aligning the adaptation of these technologies with Treasury Board Secretariat guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
• AI technologies may become an additional tool to support meteorologists, not replace them.
• Currently, AI-based models, while promising, offer a limited set of forecast products and have a coarse resolution that can only be compared with global prediction systems, which have a similar resolution. ECCC's research and development teams are engaged in experimenting with and learning from these AI-based tools as they evolve.

Non-applicable