CDC is using artificial intelligence to screen for coronavirus

The Centers for Disease Control is using a health care bot to help the agency screen for coronavirus infections. The bot, developed by Microsoft and provided to the CDC for free, can assess symptoms and risk factors for people who fear they may have COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus. A Microsoft spokesperson said March 20 that the bot will be initially be available on the CDC website for people in select areas but will expand over time. The bot is meant to reduce the strain on the health care providers by reducing the amount of patients who come to facilities thinking they may have the virus. It uses artificial intelligence to allow the "CDC and other frontline organizations respond to these inquiries, freeing up doctors, nurses, administrators and other healthcare professionals to provide critical care to those who need it."