National Weather Service’s AI translation project lacks long-term plan, watchdog says

A new report from the Government Accountability Office warned that the weather agency “has not developed a long-term plan for the AI translation project because of current uncertainty on how the project will fit into broader NWS efforts.”

The National Weather Service is using artificial intelligence to translate some of its products into non-English languages but hasn’t crafted a long-term plan for how it intends to do so, according to a new watchdog report. 

The Government Accountability Office’s analysis — released on Monday as residents in dozens of states dig out from a massive winter storm that swept through much of the eastern half of the country — said AI “could play a key role in expanding the accessibility of weather products,” but added that the translation project is hampered by some challenges, including funding issues and widespread adoption.

According to Census Bureau data that GAO included in the report ...