AI 20 January 2026 - 27 January 2026

On Monday, chipmaker Nvidia launched a new series of open AI weather models, aiming to speed up forecasts using graphics processors and make advanced weather prediction more accessible. The timing of the launch coincided with the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting in Houston, as a winter storm sweeping parts of the U.S. exposed just how much forecasts can vary when models clash. Nvidia claims its Earth-2 Medium Range model outperformed Google DeepMind’s GenCast on over 70 forecasting variables. GenCast, which debuted in December 2024, had already set a new standard for AI-powered medium-range weather predictions. Mike Pritchard, Nvidia’s climate simulation director, described their approach as “a return to simplicity,” emphasizing a pivot toward “simple, scalable transformer architectures.”