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Google has expanded the coverage of its AI-powered wildfire tracking tool to 15 new nations, having mapped over 40 occurrences in southern Europe during what has already been a "record-breaking summer" for wildfire impacts.
The internet giant's mapping technology uses a variety of data sources, including a number of satellite picture banks, which are validated against Google's model for detecting fire scar forms after fires have been extinguished using measurements from previous events. When combined with other AI models that validate the occurrence of fires, the approach allows for more precise and conclusive detection of wildfire boundaries than utilizing satellite images alone.
The technology displays wildfire boundaries in both Google Search and Maps, and it provides additional information through notifications in several languages to support on-the-ground efforts to keep people safe. Google Maps' driving directions also include information overlays.
Google said that wildfires in Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey would now be tracked by its AI platform. Kenya and Rwanda will also be able to use Google's wildfire mapping, along with the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.
The statement comes after Google said it had already mapped over 40 wildfires in southern Europe this summer, including incidents in Spain, Greece, and Cyprus last month. According to Google's update, 1.4 million users viewed wildfire information in just the first week of July.
"During one week in July, according to reports, firefighters fought through the night as wildfires blazed on the Greek islands of Kos, Chios and Crete," said Moriah Royz, Google research product manager. "Authorities in the Spanish community of Extremadura activated 60 personnel to control a forest fire - one of 18 threatening the region. One wildfire, according to reports, in the Paphos region of Cyprus, was caused by light refracted through broken glass. According to estimates, territory that is fire-prone in Europe has doubled in the last 50 years. Using AI, we are able to show detailed wildfire boundary tracking in Search and Maps and through location-based push notifications. Now, during this record-breaking summer, we are expanding this tool to 15 countries across Europe and Africa. We're surfacing this information through alerts and features that provide information about how to stay safe to people who are near a wildfire."
Google's wildfire maps are part of their increasing portfolio of climate impact tools that use AI and satellite images. These technologies also predict small-scale and extreme floods disasters and assist airplanes in preventing contrails.
Google's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions grew by 13% to 14.3 million tonnes of CO2e in 2023, primarily due to increased data center energy use from new AI technology.
"This is just one of the many ways we're using AI to help communities around the world adapt to the impacts of climate change and the hazards it's causing," Royz added. "We have launched this feature in countries that have been impacted by wildfires in recent summers and based on the quality of our model in each country. As we work to improve our models over time, we hope to expand to more countries and continue sharing critical information with people when they need it."
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