Experts Criticize Global Digital Twin Project

A group of eleven experts from various fields (including Dr Arnald Puy from the University of Birmingham) join forces to criticize the project to create a digital twin (DT) of the entire planet, including its oceans, atmosphere, biosphere, and human inhabitants. They argue that while DTs aim to integrate data from various sources to aid decision-making, the project has significant flaws and is a poor use of resources.

Historically, large-scale modelling projects have often failed. The DT project aims to provide detailed models of key processes affecting climate change, but the authors argue that higher resolution models won’t eliminate the need for effective parameters to describe complex systems like soil, topography, and vegetation.

The authors also critique the DTs for extending weather prediction models to long-term simulations, which must account for complex feedbacks in biological and human systems. These systems are self-organizing and evolve in unpredictable ways, making them difficult to model accurately.

Biodiversity scholars worry that DTs will focus research on species that sensors can easily capture, neglecting endangered species. They also fear that resources will be diverted to the global North, away from biodiversity-rich regions in the global South.

The authors argue that DTs promote a governance-by-numbers approach, which is dangerous. They suggest developing simpler, context-sensitive models that incorporate diverse data and perspectives. Models should facilitate political negotiation rather than reduce political issues to technical ones. They emphasize that environmental care is not just scientific but also philosophical, ethical, legal, and political.

In conclusion, the authors call for more inclusive modelling practices and caution against over-reliance on DTs.