I started my studies in economics, which, like the weather, is essentially a complex set of interactions. It seems to me that I've always had a fascination for large, complex systems. I enjoy exploring a part of those systems, or trying to better understand the whole. In primary school I once did a project on stars, and my mother always told me I should become a weatherman. So when I was studying Climate Econometrics, I was pleasantly surprised to see a thesis topic bringing together econometrics and the weather. When you make a forecast for a month ahead, it’s like looking into a crystal ball, it’s fantastic. I also think what you can do with those forecasts is hugely important. I hope my work can ultimately make the world more sustainable, fairer or better. You can use our forecasts to predict periods of drought earlier, which is valuable for nature management in the Netherlands, but also for agriculture in Africa.
Can you tell us something about your fascination with AI?
The great thing about AI is that you can find out things with the power of a computer that you as a human can only ever have a hypothesis about. For example, we know that certain global regions have a bigger impact on the weather in the Netherlands than other regions, but how do you identify those areas in a systematic way? Herein lies the power of AI: if you can program the computer cleverly, you can pick up signals from huge amounts of data. This is very important when it comes to understanding complex systems such as the weather.
For me, a better world means all people living in harmony with one another and the planet. Nobody should be prevented from following their dreams by social, economic or climate injustice. Personally, I contribute to a better world by solving parts of complex puzzles that arise from the challenges facing our society today. The inequality aspects of these challenges are as important to me as the final objective.
