The massive disruption of artificial intelligence and large language models causes a swath of understandable responses: skepticism, optimism, ambivalence, even some fear. For Washington State University, with its mission to serve the state, increasingly sophisticated AI might also provide more practical ways to help people and communities.
The predictive capabilities of AI are already improving forecasts of weather, snowpack, and other conditions that Washington state farmers need for effective management, especially as the climate becomes unpredictable and extreme. WSU’s AgWeatherNet has given the agriculture industry a powerful tool for years, and now it’s getting even better with data from farmers that improve AI forecasting.
Robots have been working in factories and other places for decades, but advances in AI promise to make robots more adaptable and efficient. WSU researchers study ways to improve the safety and reliability of robots, particularly ones that work with and around people. Establishing more trust could bring in robots for jobs that have a shortage of human workers.
Even in the wildest parts of the natural world, AI has the potential to support endangered animals. WSU wildlife biologists partner with Google to have AI models analyze hundreds of thousands of camera images from remote areas and identify animals. That enables almost real-time understanding of habitat and animal behavior for better management.
AI might help out in some areas, but we still don’t lose sight of the essential human connections. Whether we’re tailgating before a football game in the new Pac-12 or taking care of kids in Spokane at WSU’s first external medical clinic, the WSU community, the state, and all its people remain the top priority.