Ai2 Releases OlmoEarth v1.3 Satellite Embedding Model with No-GPU Browser Tool

The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Ai2), based in the United States, released the satellite map embedding model OlmoEarth v1.3 on October 22, 2026, along with a browser-based mapping tool called OlmoEarth Embeddings Explorer. The model compresses a year of satellite observations into numerical fingerprints for each 10-by-10-meter patch of ground, utilizing data from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat missions.

Previously, using OlmoEarth required downloading vast amounts of imagery and performing fine-tuning on local GPU clusters to generate maps. The new version provides precomputed annual global embeddings, allowing users to compare surface changes across years directly through a browser without signing in or possessing specialized hardware. For instance, in Peru's Madre de Dios region, analyzing embeddings from 2016 to 2020 clearly identifies that illegal gold mining expanded forest clearing to 34 square kilometers, while data from 2020 to 2024 shows this area reduced to 9 square kilometers, reflecting the impact of regulatory actions.

According to Ai2, v1.3 is its cheapest model to train, requiring only 53% of the computing time of the previous version (v1.2) and generating 50% less carbon emissions. Despite lowering the training barrier, the model retains its utility as a base for fine-tuning in scenarios requiring higher precision. This release aims to enable environmental analysts and researchers to perform rapid initial screenings, reserving full model training resources for cases where they are strictly necessary.