Artificial Intelligence Key to Fighting Pandemics

Artificial intelligence is proving to be an integral part of the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and may also aid in battling future pandemics, according to researchers from a high-profile AI commission. "The early months of the pandemic response suggest that technology -- some of it underpinned by artificial intelligence -- offers powerful potential for detecting and containing the virus, driving biomedical innovation -- including for vaccines and therapeutics -- and improving response and recovery," said a new white paper by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The panel -- which was established by the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act -- was tasked by Congress to research ways to advance the development of AI for defense purposes. In the report titled, "The Role of AI Technology in Pandemic Response and Preparedness: Recommended Investments and Initiatives," the authors called for a number of focused spending efforts and projects that could help the United States capitalize on AI capabilities during pandemics, as well as maintain military readiness. Already, the Pentagon has a number of initiatives examining such tools.