Google Earth gets an AI chatbot to help chart the climate crisis

Google has come up with a way to better map disasters on Earth, predict them, and be able to track which communities and ecosystems will be harmed. If you want to know what's causing environmental stress in your area, all you have to do is ask.

Google Earth AI, combination Google Earth And Gemini AI system, was presented in July. Part of this effort is an artificial intelligence model called AlphaEarth Foundationswhich turns terabytes of satellite data into useful layers of data that track the history of what's happening on the planet's surface.

The combined system allows users to analyze historical landscape data that can reveal significant climate changes over the years. For example, users can monitor rising water levels in flood zones, chart changes in surface temperatures in different regions of the planet, or see the effects of clean air policies by studying changes in air pollution.

Now Google has revealed new capabilities of its artificial intelligence platform Earth. Users can now interact with the AI ​​model by asking it questions, just like you would with a chatbot. As an example, Google asked Earth's AI to “find algae blooms” to help control water supplies. The system will search for satellite images and collected data and display a list of results.

Google uses the Gemini platform to fulfill these queries. geospatial thinking a model to combine artificial intelligence Earth models with other models that track weather, population data, imagery, and historical data to identify patterns in how natural disasters or other large-scale events affect the world. The hope is that the model will be able to predict not only where a hurricane is heading, but also which communities are most likely to be affected by its effects.

The new chatbot features will only be available to Google Earth users. professional subscription planswhich Google introduced this month. The Professional tier, which allows users to access more advanced data layers such as surface temperature and elevation contours, starts at $75 per month. The Professional Advanced level costs $150. Some basic Google Earth features, such as the ability to view slow motion video specific parts of the globe are available in all plans, including the free standard version of Google Earth.

This release marks Google's latest attempt to demonstrate its bona fide climate awareness. The company has previously partnered with satellite manufacturers to better track natural disasters such as forest fires from low Earth orbit. The company has also teamed up with researchers to create a database recording activities power plants of the world. Perhaps Google's efforts to curb environmental destruction will eventually offset the impact of AI. ever-increasing energy needs.