Met Office finds most of us still won't trust an AI weather forecast

Date:
Tue, 25 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Description:
Survey finds low confidence in weather prediction systems based on machine learning, with the majority overwhelmingly in favour of traditional forecasting.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Public confidence in AI weather forecasts is far lower than for numerical and physics-based methods Just 11% said they were "very confident" in machine learning weather prediction, compared with 30% for tried-and-trusted methods The Met Office has been using machine learning techniques in weather forecasting for some years A survey of 6,000 UK adults has found that the majority dont fully trust the idea of AI weather forecasts. While machine learning techniques have been a factor of weather forecasting for some years, the survey found that people are more relaxed about traditional Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) as opposed to Machine Learning Weather Prediction (MLWP).

Predictive technology has increased considerably thanks to AI, and the Met Office has already begun to evaluate AI models for augmenting its existing forecasting methods. However, the confidence gap in the results of the
survey, which appears to be based around questions over accuracy, could undermine the use of AI for weather forecasting, which researchers suggest
can be challenged with clear demonstrations of the methods working successfully. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: AI-based weather models The Met Office research was published in a study, Artificial Intelligence for the Earth Systems , which explores the publics confidence in the reliability of AI-based weather forecasting and prediction. Future
studies are planned to assess how attitudes change toward AI-backed weather reports.

Responses to the report are not entirely negative. While 87.7% of respondents felt confident about weather reports using NWP, the 49.4% in favour of MLWP isnt a bad result. Rather, it demonstrates that people are comfortable with tried-and-tested methods. You may like Why accurate weather forecasting is still so difficult and why real-time data matters Report claims most of us now trust a personal AI agent more than a best friend Many companies are struggling to fully trust AI at work

Dr Edward Pope, a Met Office Science Fellow and the lead author of the paper, said the report, deepens our understanding of current public perceptions as
we approach a crucial juncture where AI-based weather models are
demonstrating their potential to work alongside physics-based methods. This was a unique opportunity to compare public perceptions of established and emerging approaches to forecasting the weather." The consequences of the confidence gap The gap in confidence between the maths-based predictive forecasting and modern AI modelling is a challenge that the Met Office is addressing directly. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to
the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &
Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Dr Pope explained that The gap in confidence and perceived accuracy highlighted in the paper demonstrates the need to clearly and transparently demonstrate the value of new approaches in ways that matter to people.

In Popes view, AI practices will contribute to weather forecasts in the future, but these improvements will only be fully realised if the public continue to have confidence, and importantly act on, the weather forecast
they see.

The Met Office research considered the perceived accuracy of reports, and its Chief AI Officer Professor Kirstine Dale implied that progress with AI
weather modelling is subjected to evaluation and validation: We are exploring ways of blending physics-based and AI-based modelling to deliver the
forecasts that we all rely on. As with all science developments, we will robustly evaluate and validate any changes to our approach to weather forecasting before we introduce them into the model. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/met-office-finds-most-of-us-still-wont-trust-an- ai-weather-forecast


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)