Last week as the U.S. National Weather Service was warning Florida residents of incoming 120 mile/hour winds, folks in the U.K were informed by the BBC weather app that the wind speed outside was – – wait for it – – 18,995 mph. Hurricane force winds were displayed for many cities worldwide. Not to mention temperatures of around 400 F for Nottingham, New York, and Sydney.
The BBC of course issued retractions and apologies, blaming a third-party data supplier. Said supplier, meteorological forecasting company DTN has apologized for what it called a “technical error”.
I had my Brave browser do an AI search/summary on the topic, “What measures does the BBC take to prevent or mitigate the impact of third-party supplier issues on its weather forecasting app?”. Here is what it told me:
Based on the provided search results, the BBC takes the following measures to prevent or mitigate the impact of third-party supplier issues on its weather forecasting app:
- Diversified data sources: The BBC uses multiple data suppliers, including MeteoGroup, to ensure that its forecasts are accurate and reliable. This diversification helps to reduce dependence on a single supplier and minimizes the impact of issues with a particular supplier.
- Real-time updates: The BBC’s weather app provides real-time updates, which enable it to quickly respond to and correct any errors or inaccuracies caused by third-party supplier issues.
- Error detection and correction: The BBC’s weather experts closely monitor forecasts and are able to detect and correct errors or inaccuracies caused by third-party supplier issues.
- Technical redundancy: The BBC has implemented technical redundancy measures, such as backup systems and fail-safes, to minimize the impact of third-party supplier issues on its weather forecasting app.
- Collaboration with other organizations: The BBC collaborates with other organizations, such as the Met Office and Scottish airline Loganair, to improve forecast accuracy and mitigate the impact of third-party supplier issues.
- Investment in technology and AI: The BBC invests in advanced technology and artificial intelligence to improve the accuracy and reliability of its weather forecasts, reducing the reliance on third-party suppliers and minimizing the impact of issues.
- Monitoring and maintenance: The BBC regularly monitors and maintains its weather forecasting app and underlying systems to identify and address potential issues before they become critical.
These measures demonstrate the BBC’s proactive approach to mitigating the impact of third-party supplier issues on its weather forecasting app, ensuring that users receive accurate and reliable forecasts.
That all sounds great in theory, but in practice something failed last week. I guess there is so far no fool-proof substitute for having a pair of human eyeballs look at material before it is flung out into cyberspace. But that might cost money.
Nobody is saying, but it would not surprise me if the BBC adds yet another layer of auto-checking to its robo-forecasts, to at least flag physically unrealistic numbers.
Economist Writing Every Day 