Go offline with the Player FM app!
Inside the AI Lab Taking on Climate Misinformation
Manage episode 485378166 series 2805813
In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Angel Hsu, associate professor at UNC Chapel Hill and founder of the Data-Driven EnviroLab. We dive deep into how AI can be used to combat climate misinformation and bring real accountability to climate pledges.
Angel and her team have built two domain-specific AI tools, ChatNetZero and ChatNDC, designed to help policymakers, researchers, and business leaders navigate the chaos of climate targets, national climate plans, and net zero claims. Unlike generic chatbots, which often hallucinate facts or pull from questionable sources, these tools are trained on verified, climate-specific datasets and come with built-in safeguards against misinformation.
We also unpack why generic AI tools like ChatGPT fall short in this space, how climate policy is lagging behind AI innovation, and what it’ll take to close that gap. Angel shares insights from her work with the Net Zero Tracker, the IPCC, and her current NSF-backed initiative to boost AI integrity in climate mitigation.
If you’re in policy, sustainability, or just trying to make sense of what’s greenwashing and what’s not, this episode is packed with actionable insights.
Listen now to learn:
- Why domain-specific AI beats generic models in climate accuracy
- How ChatNetZero flags weak net zero targets
- What policymakers can do today to use AI responsibly
- Why transparency in data, and in AI, is non-negotiable
For more, about Angel, and her team's work, visit https://datadrivenlab.org/
Digital Disruption with Geoff NielsonDiscover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Podcast supporters
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters:
- Jerry Sweeney
- Andreas Werner
- Stephen Carroll
- Roger Arnold
And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.
Contact
If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn.
If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.
Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper
Chapters
1. Inside the AI Lab Taking on Climate Misinformation (00:00:00)
2. [Ad] Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson (00:30:28)
3. (Cont.) Untitled Episode (00:31:06)
223 episodes
Manage episode 485378166 series 2805813
In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I’m joined by Angel Hsu, associate professor at UNC Chapel Hill and founder of the Data-Driven EnviroLab. We dive deep into how AI can be used to combat climate misinformation and bring real accountability to climate pledges.
Angel and her team have built two domain-specific AI tools, ChatNetZero and ChatNDC, designed to help policymakers, researchers, and business leaders navigate the chaos of climate targets, national climate plans, and net zero claims. Unlike generic chatbots, which often hallucinate facts or pull from questionable sources, these tools are trained on verified, climate-specific datasets and come with built-in safeguards against misinformation.
We also unpack why generic AI tools like ChatGPT fall short in this space, how climate policy is lagging behind AI innovation, and what it’ll take to close that gap. Angel shares insights from her work with the Net Zero Tracker, the IPCC, and her current NSF-backed initiative to boost AI integrity in climate mitigation.
If you’re in policy, sustainability, or just trying to make sense of what’s greenwashing and what’s not, this episode is packed with actionable insights.
Listen now to learn:
- Why domain-specific AI beats generic models in climate accuracy
- How ChatNetZero flags weak net zero targets
- What policymakers can do today to use AI responsibly
- Why transparency in data, and in AI, is non-negotiable
For more, about Angel, and her team's work, visit https://datadrivenlab.org/
Digital Disruption with Geoff NielsonDiscover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Podcast supporters
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters:
- Jerry Sweeney
- Andreas Werner
- Stephen Carroll
- Roger Arnold
And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.
Contact
If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn.
If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.
Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper
Chapters
1. Inside the AI Lab Taking on Climate Misinformation (00:00:00)
2. [Ad] Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson (00:30:28)
3. (Cont.) Untitled Episode (00:31:06)
223 episodes
All episodes
×Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.