AI/ML Roadmap Workshop (Internal)

Overall Goal: This workshop will focus on co-developing a strategic roadmap to advance artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into Earth system science across NSF NCAR and its broader community. The roadmap will identify shared priorities, infrastructure needs, and actionable pathways to enable responsible and open AI integration into ESS.

Main Objective: Through collaborative engagement, participants will define the structure of a sustainable community AI ecosystem that accelerates scientific discovery and expands access to AI/ML tools, data, workflows, training of models, and the models themselves for adoption and adaptation, across the Earth system science domain. The focus is on the identification of short- and medium-term community priorities for building a sustainable, open, and impactful AI ecosystem for Earth system science.

Key Topics: 

• Identifying short- and medium-term AI/ML priorities across the Earth system science domains at NSF NCAR.
• Exploring opportunities to improve predictive modeling and discovery using data-driven and hybrid approaches.
• Defining requirements for modern cyber-infrastructure to support AI readiness.
• Capturing training and workforce development needs.
• Developing a shared understanding of responsible and reliable AI/ML, open science, and reproducibility, intelligibility, and interpretability in Earth system applications of AI/ML.

Workshop Outcomes (By the end of the three-day workshop, we will have collectively produced):

• A Strategic Roadmap Framework: An outline of shared priorities, long-term goals, and phased implementation strategies for AI/ML in Earth system science.
• Actionable Recommendations: A prioritized list of concrete actions in the areas of infrastructure, workforce training, governance, and cross-sector partnerships.
• Summary of Needs and Opportunities: A consolidated document summarizing the institutional needs and opportunities as defined by the community for supporting AI/ML integration into their research.

Workshop Activities: The workshop will consist of a range of activities as well as regular breaks for informal networking and discussion. 

The agenda is comprised of:

• Keynote talks from invited speakers
  Lightning and/or panel discussions featuring lab representatives and researchers
• Breakout sessions on science applications, infrastructure, data, and tool needs, training, and responsible AI
• Plenary discussions on key topics and breakout session deliverables