Work

The role of artificial intelligence in climate change scientific assessments

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Climate change scientific assessments prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) serve as a vital resource for consensus-driven, evidence-based decisionmaking. Undertaking such assessments faces interconnected challenges due to the exponential growth of scientific literature, hindering synthesis efficiency, and the increasing length of reports, impeding accessibility. In this essay, I explore how artificial intelligence (AI) tools might mitigate these challenges. Specifically, I examine current practices employing natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) techniques to navigate the literature and support consensus building, considering pathways involving internal use of validated tools versus assessment of external AI-generated products. I also critically evaluate the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) for communicating assessment findings, highlighting inherent limitations concerning factual accuracy, scientific nuance, and uncertainty representation. Acknowledging the IPCC's mandate to assess published literature, I conclude by exploring potential hybrid, expert-led approaches for responsible AI integration across both synthesis and communication. Doing so requires addressing the associated process integrity and equity implications that are critical to maintaining scientific rigour while leveraging AI to augment human expertise.

Source: PLOS Climate

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000706

Author: Alaa Al Khourdajie

Institutions: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Imperial College London

Language: English

Topic: Ethics and Social Impacts of AI

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,496