Rogue waves are a naturally-occurring phenomenon, usually materializing far out to sea, and categorized as waves measuring twice the size of those surrounding them.
They’re difficult to predict, erratic, and typically, they’re far away from any coast or anybody, leaving minimal harm to humans. However, in Taiwan, apparently, they’re a problem. According to the Taipei Times, “an average of 17 rogue waves annually, sweeping an average of 30 people per year out to sea.”
And so, officials have developed an AI-powered system to mitigate those casualties.
Taiwan launches AI rogue wave monitoring system https://t.co/feC0mipVAE pic.twitter.com/DnPajwRvIx
— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNewsEN) August 20, 2025
Per the Times, “The Central Weather Administration (CWA) and National Cheng Kung University have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system to predict rogue waves, which is expected to be rolled out nationwide by the end of the year, the agency said yesterday.”
By the sound of it, these “rogue waves” that they’re dealing with are more likely larger set waves, perhaps coupled with a high tide, which hit crowded coastal regions. By contrast, scientists have been studying the more traditional rogue waves – the ones that break out to sea, and appear to be an anomaly amongst other swells in their vicinity.
Related: 60-Foot Rogue Wave Captured in Pacific Ocean (Video)
Like in Canada, where a wave the size of a six-story building struck off the coast in 2020, which prompted scientists to look into the rarity:
“Once dismissed as a maritime myth, rogue waves are now increasingly being recorded in Canadian waters,” the scientists said. “A network of AI-powered buoys off the coast of B.C. is capturing these giants in real time. Johanna Wagstaffe meets the engineer developing new tools to understand — and maybe one day forecast — their chaotic nature.”
As for the new monitoring operation coming to Taiwan, they’re hoping to predict rogue waves 24 hours in advance. The Times continued:
“The system, which began development in 2017, uses cameras to monitor the coast and identify abnormal waves, combining information with data provided by the CWA’s wave models and an AI prediction model to assess the likelihood of a rogue wave occurring within 24 hours.”
Related: 20-Foot Rogue Wave Shorebreak Annihilates Beachgoer (Video)