Advancing Actionable AI Weather Forecasts For Developing Economies: Laude Institute Moonshots Grant

Millions of smallholder farmers in the tropics region make life-changing decisions based on weather with little to no access to accurate forecasts.

A University of Chicago team received a Laude Institute Moonshots seed grant to change that. Lead PI Rebecca Willett, Nobel laureate Michael Kremer, Pedram Hassanzadeh, and Ian Foster are developing AI-based forecasting systems designed specifically for developing economies in the tropics region, built around the metrics that actually matter to farmers and public health workers on the ground. Actionable and accurate forecasts could help public health officials to better prepare for heat waves and pest seasons while helping farmers decide when the best time to plant their crops.

The team’s track record speaks for itself. Award winning researchers in statistics, economics, geophysical sciences, and computer science have come together to collaboratively tackle this problem while keeping the human impact at the center of their work. They’re focused on getting this technology deployed at scale with programs already underway with partnering countries in the tropics.