Tech giant IBM (IBM) and NASA have released a new open-source AI model called Surya that is designed to study high-resolution images of the Sun and predict solar weather. Interestingly, Surya is the first AI foundation model trained specifically on heliophysics data and uses nine years of images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. These images are 10 times larger than typical AI training data, so IBM created a custom multi-architecture system to handle the scale efficiently. The result is a high-resolution model that offers better accuracy for identifying solar activity. Alongside the model, IBM and NASA have also released the largest curated heliophysics dataset to help researchers build new space weather tools.
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It’s worth noting that understanding and predicting solar weather has become more important as technology increasingly depends on space-based systems. Indeed, solar flares and coronal mass ejections can disrupt satellites, GPS, airline navigation, power grids, and even pose radiation risks to astronauts. Furthermore, a study by Lloyd’s estimates that a major solar storm could cost the global economy up to $2.4 trillion over five years. Surya helps address these risks by offering better forecasting tools, including a 16% improvement in solar flare classification and the ability to generate high-resolution visual predictions of where flares might occur up to two hours in advance.
Interestingly, this release is part of a wider IBM and NASA collaboration that is focused on using AI to improve planetary and space research, which includes geospatial and weather prediction tools. IBM says that this is part of a shift toward generative and automated scientific discovery, where AI models are not just tools but collaborators. In addition, NASA’s Kevin Murphy says that embedding the agency’s data into AI like Surya allows for faster and more precise understanding of solar behavior, which is key to protecting the technology we rely on.
Is IBM a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on IBM stock based on eight Buys, five Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average IBM price target of $294.69 per share implies 22.8% upside potential.
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