AI and automation vs. the COVID-19 pandemic: Trading liberty for safety

Digital technologies have been touted as a solution to the COVID-19 outbreak since early in the pandemic. AlgorithmWatch, a non-profit research and advocacy organisation to evaluate and shed light on algorithmic decision making processes, just published a report on Automated Decision-Making Systems in the COVID-19 Pandemic, examining the use of technology to respond to COVID-19. From cancelled conferences to disrupted supply chains, not a corner of the global economy is immune to the spread of COVID-19. The report has a European lens, as AlgorithmWatch focuses on the use of digital technology in the EU. Its findings, however, are interesting and applicable regardless of geographies, as they refer to the same underlying principles and technologies.