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A local National Weather Service (NWS) office in Missoula, Montana, posted an AI-generated wind forecast map for Camas Prairie, Idaho, that included fabricated and misspelled town names. The NWS confirmed that a generative AI tool was used to create the base map, which was subsequently deleted and corrected. Experts expressed concern that such errors, while relatively low-impact in this instance, could undermine public trust in the agency's communication and the broader application of AI in scientific forecasting.
A U.S. National Weather Service office reportedly posted an AI-generated wind forecast map for Camas Prairie, Idaho that contained fabricated and misspelled place names, including non-existent towns. The image was reportedly shared publicly on social media before being deleted and corrected. NWS confirmed a generative AI tool had been used to create the base map.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that inadvertently generate or spread incorrect or deceptive information, which can lead to inaccurate beliefs in users and undermine their autonomy. Humans that make decisions based on false beliefs can experience physical, emotional or material harms
Also classified as
NWS staff relied on the AI-generated graphic without performing adequate quality control or verification before posting it publicly.
The generative AI model failed to reliably generate accurate geographical names, exhibiting a hallucination error.
The AI system generated a weather forecast map containing fabricated, non-existent town names, which was then published officially, spreading false information to the public.
AI system
Due to a decision or action made by an AI system
Unintentional
Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
The incident was caused by the generative AI system hallucinating non-existent town names on a weather forecast map, which was an unintentional outcome post-deployment.
A local National Weather Service office posted an AI-generated forecast map containing hallucinated town names. While the immediate physical and security impacts are negligible, the incident highlights minor risks to public trust in official government communications and underscores the need for human verification protocols when deploying generative AI tools.
The AI system was used as an assistant to generate a base map for displaying forecast information, which was intended to augment human capabilities but required oversight that was missed in this instance.
Risk Level 3. Limited Risk: The system is a generative AI tool used to produce AI-generated content (a forecast graphic), which carries transparency obligations to ensure users are informed of its AI-generated nature.
The AI system was used to generate a base map graphic for displaying weather forecast information, which involves image generation, and it also generated text labels on the map.
The report clearly details the incident, the specific error (hallucinated town names), the agency involved (NWS), and the technology used (generative AI, specifically referencing Gemini in a related post). The facts are straightforward and uncontested.
None
Technology
Generative AI Hallucinations
GenAI created fictitious town names like Orangeotild on the weather map.
Unreliable Graphics Generation
AI tools generated illegible text and incorrect logos on the forecast map.
Human Factors
Lack of AI Training
Staff lacked training to identify and double-check AI hallucinations.
Oversight in Labeling
Staff failed to label the experimental AI-generated graphic as required.
Increased Employee Strain
Staffing shortages left remaining employees overworked and prone to errors.
Process and Methods
Inadequate Review Processes
No rigorous testing or review was done before posting the graphic.
Unlabeled Experimental Products
Experimental maps were published without proper labels indicating AI use.
Management
Staffing Reductions
Government-wide downsizing led to severe staff shortages and high strain.
Permissive AI Adoption
Management allowed experimenting with AI without establishing guardrails.
Regulatory Environment
Lack of AI Guidelines
No clear federal rules or restrictions governed generative AI use at NWS.
AI system involved
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
