AI sent first coronavirus alert, but underestimated the danger

Research suggests that an AI beat humans to the punch in warning the world about the coronavirus. But it didn't get all the credit, because it needed humans to recognize the danger. Earlier reports had suggested that a Canadian epidemiologist had raised the first warnings of the outbreak, using an algorithm called BlueDot that scanned news reports and airline ticketing to predict the spread of the disease. Associated Press reporters Christina Larson and Matt O'Brien were dubious about the claim, and decided to draw up a timeline of when global alert systems noticed the signals. They determined that the first warning outside China of the virus came from the automated HealthMap system at Boston Children's Hospital, which scans online news and social media reports for signals of spreading disease.