Description:

Scenario planning and tabletop exercises provide opportunities for decision makers to immerse themselves in near-realistic situations.  The military, emergency management, and increasingly other government entities use scenario planning to make important long-term planning decisions.  There is an entire industry built around game theory and the science of decisions, but one of the challenges in this space has always been making the scenarios as realistic as possible.  With the rise of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) and digital twin technologies, scenario planning that incorporates environmental science information and data inputs is advancing.  AI/ML can accelerate the data-to-decision time space needed in scenario planning, and when combined within digital twins using generative or other forms of AI, can provide visualizations depicting realistic scenarios.  This session will explore the use of AI/ML and Digital Twins to advance scenario planning. across a variety of use cases including: 

• Earth Digital Twin technologies: understanding our planet, climate change, and how the choices we make can result in a healthier Earth in the future. 
• AI and Digital Twin technologies in city planning: using environmental information to explore municipal decisions of storm water management, placement of critical infrastructure, or other city planning decisions. 

• AI and Digital Twin technologies in improving health outcomes: where do we need to optimize air quality sensor placement?  Where might EV charger placement be optimal to reduce greenhouse gases? 
• AI and Digital Twin technologies to support emergency preparedness: using realistic visualizations to depict weather or climate events for community planners to enhance their community preparedness plans for disasters