Reduction in science funding at the White House poses a risk to the artificial intelligence-driven weather forecasting center
The AI Institute AI2ES, a collaboration among multiple universities including the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Utah, is facing an uncertain future as its funding renewal from the National Science Foundation (NSF) remains undecided.
The institute, which has been researching the trustworthiness of private AI tools developed by companies like Google, received about $20 million in total funding over the past five years. It provided funding for approximately 70 roles each year across several universities.
Amy McGovern, the director of AI2ES, announced last month that the NSF informed the institute that it would not renew its five-year grant. However, the NSF plans to renew funding for several AI institutes in the next years, including AI2ES and others focused on interdisciplinary research and AI safety, but specific additional institutes targeted for renewal were not detailed in the search results.
The Trump administration has proposed a 55% budget cut for the NSF, but Congress has yet to pass a budget. Despite this, the Senate and House appropriations have split from the Trump administration and proposed smaller cuts to science agencies like NSF.
If the AI2ES center is shuttered, it could stymie innovation and put the country at a disadvantage, particularly in the area of AI-related meteorological research, as other countries like China are making investments in this field. The institute's scientists had published more than 130 academic papers and developed AI tools in use by governments today.
One of the AI2ES institute's notable achievements was the creation of an AI tool to predict the kind of weather events that can stun sea turtles near the Port of Corpus Christie in Texas. The institute also helped build an application that allows forecasters to "see" inside hurricanes even when polar-orbiting satellites with microwave sensors capable of penetrating clouds are not above the storm.
The AI2ES institute is not the only one facing funding uncertainty. NSF and its partner organizations have provided funding for a network of 29 AI institutes, and AI2ES was among five institutes up for renewal this year through NSF. Three of the institutes have been renewed, and the fourth remains pending, according to Amy McGovern.
The U.S. National Science Foundation remains committed to advancing artificial intelligence research through the National AI Research Institutes program. The administration's own AI plan calls for the NSF to develop programs to evaluate AI systems and to build AI job training programs and more AI labs specializing in a range of scientific fields.
Despite the potential closure, the institute has made significant strides in attracting talent. Private AI companies had been "snatching our people left and right" because the center had built a pipeline of talent. If it can find private funding, the AI2ES institute could continue its research and innovation in AI and meteorology.
However, the White House did not respond to a request for comment regarding the decision to halt funding for AI2ES. The future of the institute remains uncertain, but its impact on AI research and innovation is undeniable.
