Thai Meteorological Department announces termination of partnership with Tomorrow.io after 7-month AI system trial
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has notified the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) of its decision to terminate its partnership with Tomorrow.io, a provider of AI-powered weather forecasting technology, following a seven-month free trial period.
This decision follows the TMD’s implementation of Tomorrow.io’s system for real-world testing to evaluate its accuracy and effectiveness in forecasting weather for Thailand. The test results revealed that the system remained incomplete in several aspects.
The primary reason for ending the partnership is that the AI forecasting results were unable to adequately address Thailand's unique weather conditions. Further improvements and development of datasets tailored to the context and geography of Thailand are required before the technology can be implemented for national-level operations.
Nevertheless, the Thai Meteorological Department remains committed to adopting new technologies to enhance weather forecasting. The findings from this trial will serve as a lesson for developing and selecting the most appropriate technologies, ensuring that the public continues to receive accurate and reliable weather forecasts.