With a little help from AI

The U.S. economy has been rocked by the coronavirus pandemic, with stock values crashing this year during the period between late February and late March, when states began issuing stay-at-home orders. One intrepid digital company saw its stock surge, however--Zoom Video Communications, Inc., which has more than doubled its individual stock price while the economy around it crashed. But why has Zoom become the go-to platform during the pandemic, when there are dozens of other video conferencing services out there? The answer lies in Zoom's intuitive interface, says Mathias Unberath, an assistant professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering and a member of the Malone Center for Engineering and Healthcare. "Whether someone is hosting a work meeting or a baby shower, the app is easy to use," he says.