China has unveiled Mazu, an AI-powered weather warning system named after a Chinese sea goddess and designed to help developing nations prepare for natural disasters.
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Mazu is one of the most revered Chinese dieties in Southeast Asia, sometimes conflated with the Virgin Mary. The Multi-hazard Alert Zero-gap and Universal (Mazu) system was purpose-built for global reach, according to China’s national weather service.
The initiative, which was unveiled at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Saturday, is expected to support partner countries under China’s Belt and Road Initiative by introducing critical early warning capabilities.
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“With extreme weather posing a global challenge, the CMA is building an early warning partnership network with other countries to jointly tackle extreme weather,” Zeng Qin, director of international cooperation at the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), said, highlighting the system’s core mission.
“We’re actively co-developing cloud warning systems with partners like Ethiopia and Pakistan. China’s Fengyun satellites already serve 133 nations,” he said in a CMA statement.
“Wherever Mazu is seen around the world, it serves as a symbol of our joint response to extreme weather.”
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In naming the system Mazu, the CMA is tapping into a mythological and historical spirit of guardianship.