Using AI to imagine the climate future

Concerned by the sharp rise in natural disasters around the world, a team of AI researchers at Mila has developed a website that lets people see the potential impact of climate change on any address, anywhere on the planet.

What would a place look like if it was hit by heavy flooding, wildfires or smog?  Using a class of machine-learning algorithms called generative adversarial networks (GANs), the site This Climate Does Not Exist generates a realistic filter of the effects of climate change on that location in Google Street View.  The experience raises awareness in users about the possible scenarios if the world’s response to climate change continues to fall short.

The project is the culmination of two years of work and has mobilized over 30 specialists and collaborators under the direction of Yoshua Bengio, including lead researchers Sasha Luccioni, Victor Schmidt and Alex Hernandez-Garcia. It was made possible through financial and technological contributions from many partners.