NASA, in collaboration with Microsoft, is developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tool dubbed Earth Copilot. The tool is designed to simplify access to the vast 100-petabyte repository of geospatial data collected by NASA’s satellites.
This partnership leverages the power of Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to democratise data access, promising to bridge the gap between complex scientific datasets and a broader audience.
The tool can also simplify invaluable and complex information, such as tracking climate change, monitoring disasters, and informing urban planning.
For most users, accessing this resource requires technical expertise in geospatial analysis, data formats, and specialised interfaces—a barrier that excludes educators, policymakers, and even researchers. This inaccessibility can delay critical insights in areas like disaster response, agricultural planning, and environmental policymaking.
Earth Copilot allows users to interact with NASA’s datasets using plain-language queries. For example, users could ask, “What was Hurricane Ian’s impact on Sanibel Island?” or “How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect air quality in the US?”
The AI then retrieves and organises relevant datasets, streamlining a process that previously required significant technical expertise.
“The integration of Azure’s machine learning and scalable cloud infrastructure enables the Earth Copilot to handle complex queries with efficiency,” said Juan Carlos Lopez, a former NASA engineer now working as an Azure Specialist at Microsoft. “This ensures users can focus on discovery rather than grappling with technical hurdles.”
This AI-driven approach aligns with NASA’s Open Science Initiative, which aims to make scientific research more transparent and inclusive.
“The goal is to bring Earth’s insights to underserved communities, enabling tangible improvements in areas like disaster preparedness and agricultural management,” said Minh Nguyen, a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft.
Following this phase, NASA plans to integrate Earth Copilot into its broader ‘Visualisation, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA)’ platform.
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