At Météo France, the forecasters are at their wits’ end. The unions have filed a strike notice until April to denounce the implementation of a new automated database, which does the work for agents and presents several malfunctions.
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For many months, Meteo France uses artificial intelligence. This new system, 3P – for Program, Forecast, Production – is controlled by Alpha software. This algorithm makes it possible to generate automated forecasts intended for the general public, available on the Météo-France website and application.
Previously, this data was verified by different agents located in one of the seven offices in the region. From now on, it is a single person based at headquarters in Toulouse who corrects Alpha’s forecasts.
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Temperature errors, staff reductions…
The problem is that for some time now, there have been one set of hiccups within the public establishment. In the middle of December, the bulletin weather report announced 28 degrees in Strasbourg. Concerns are growing among agents who question the reliability of the system. The trade union organizations are demanding, among other things, “ additional staff ” and a ” emergency plan to allow correction of automatic forecasts in the region “.
Besides temperature errors, is this tool replacing their work? The answer is “yes” according to the unions, who denounce reductions in staff numbers. Over the last fifteen years, Météo France has lost a third of its staff, or 1,200 positions out of 3,700.
New long strike notice @Meteo France . The automation of general public forecasts via 3P is definitely not acceptable to forecasters! And the recent budget cuts at Bercy (1 to 2% of the initial budget!?) are even more worrying! @Ecologie_Gouv pic.twitter.com/PWyzCUn3BP
— FO Météo (@MeteoFo) February 27, 2024
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