A new study published in the journal PLOS Water suggests that advances in AI, real-time weather monitoring, and weather modification technologies could someday allow humans to "nudge" major weather events away from populated areas. Researchers propose that small, precisely timed interventions, potentially including cloud seeding, might alter the paths or intensity of storms, freezes, and flooding events. Their models suggest such actions could have shifted the track of Superstorm Sandy away from New York City, reduced the severity of the 2021 Texas freeze, or lessened flooding from California's 2022 atmospheric rivers.
The idea remains highly controversial. Many atmospheric scientists argue that there is no evidence that current cloud-seeding methods can influence massive weather systems such as hurricanes, and that past attempts to do so have produced inconclusive results. Critics also point to major ethical, legal, and political concerns, including the possibility that protecting one region could increase risks elsewhere. Still, proponents believe future advances in AI and weather technology may eventually make targeted weather intervention possible.