Outline
ECMWF will host a webinar on 31 March 2026, under the Destination Earth (#DestinE) initiative of DG-CNECT at the European Commission. The session will explore how machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping Earth-system modelling in the context of increasing model complexity and next-generation Earth-system modelling approaches.
The panel brings together experts from research and operational communities to reflect on key developments and challenges. Topics will include increasing model resolution and complexity, coupling across Earth-system components, evaluation and trust in AI-driven systems, and the balance between forecasting skill and scientific understanding. The discussion will connect emerging technical advances with broader questions on model development, evaluation, and scientific understanding.
This event is part of our online training course Machine Learning in Earth Systems Modelling: Foundations and New Frontiers, but is open for anyone to attend.
Speakers
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Rachel Furner (ECMWF)
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Martin Schultz (Forschungszentrum Jülich)
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Phillip Stier (University of Oxford)
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Sophie Buurman (KNMI)
Moderator: Dwaipayan Chatterjee (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie - KIT
Who should attend?
This event is aimed at a broad audience from academia, research organisations, operational centers, and industry, as well as policy and decision-makers interested in the role of ML and AI in Earth-system modelling.
The event is open to the public and to learners of the course Machine Learning for Earth Systems Modelling: Foundations and New Frontiers, the first course in the training series. If you are following the course, you will still need to register here to attend the live webinar.
Registration
Participation is free of charge. To register for the event, click the "Registration" link on the left side of this page.
More information
To find out more about our ML training under Destination Earth, take a look at our ML training page.
If you are interested, join the free online course Machine Learning for Earth Systems Modelling: Foundations and New Frontiers.
The panel discussion will be recorded and the recording will be available shortly after the webinar on our YouTube channel, and accessible through our eLearning platform as part of the course.