Don't expect AI to solve the coronavirus crisis on its own

Scientists are exploring every possible option for help battling the coronavirus pandemic, and artificial intelligence represents an intriguing avenue. AI has been used to search for new molecules capable of treating Covid-19, to scan through lung CTs for signs of Covid-related pneumonia, and to aid the epidemiologists who tracked the disease's spread early on. The technology is even powering new tracking software that might help identify those walking around with a fever or catch people violating quarantine rules. But how much faith should people really have in these untested tools? In a recent brief, Alex Engler, who studies AI at the Brookings Institution, warned that people should manage their expectations.