NASA has collected 100 petabytes of scientific data on Earth thanks to its satellites. But the space agency's wealth of information on topics ranging from climate change to ocean temperatures to deforestation patterns is often inaccessible to the general public because of its complexity. Enter Microsoft (MSFT). The tech giant has partnered with NASA to make its geospatial information more accessible to scientists, policy makers and students with a new AI assistant known as Earth Copilot. Powered by Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service, Earth Copilot will allow users to take NASA data by asking simple questions like: “What was the impact of Hurricane Ian on Sanibel Island?” or “How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected air quality in the US?”
While previous interactions with NASA data sets required the ability to understand specific data formats and technical areas, the space agency says its new AI-infused project will provide clear results in seconds. “We designed the system to handle complex queries and large data sets effectively, ensuring that users can quickly find the information they need without being overwhelmed by technical problems,” said Juan Carlos López, Microsoft Azure expert and former NASA engineer, in a statement.
How can the public use NASA satellite data?
Collected by orbiting sensors and instruments, NASA's scientific data is endless requests on Earth. Agricultural experts can use information on soil moisture levels to inform crop management strategies, for example, while historical data on hurricanes benefits scientists working on new forecasting methods. Access to such data therefore has wide-ranging implications for areas such as policy, disaster management, agriculture and urban planning. “This issue is not just a matter of benefit; it has real-world impact,” said Tyler Bryson, Microsoft's business vice president for the healthcare and government industries, in a post announcing the partnership.
Earth Copilot's capabilities are currently being tested only by NASA scientists and researchers. Before integrating the AI tool into NASA's existing data analysis platform, known as Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA), the agency said it would undergo rigorous internal testing to avoid any potential misuse.
According to Minh Nyugen, a cloud solution architect at Microsoft, the broad vision of Earth Copilot is to bring NASA data to underserved communities that can benefit from the agency's knowledge. “By allowing users to interact with data through simple, plain-language queries, we're helping to democratize access to space information,” Nyugen said in a statement.
