Opinion: How artificial intelligence can accelerate our response to global pandemics

Dr. Alan Bernstein is president and CEO of CIFAR and was the founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) during the SARS epidemic As president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in 2003 when an earlier coronavirus, SARS-CoV-1, swept through Canada, I had a unique vantage point from which to view Canada's response to an unprecedented threat to public health. Today, as I watch Canada's response to COVID-19, it's striking to me how much we've learned about the science and policies needed to address such crises. By and large, Canadians trust their governments, and our ministers are responding admirably to the crisis. I've been impressed with the consistent and clear communication, the co-ordination with the provinces and the rapid implementation of very significant financial packages aimed at dealing with the economic, social and health consequences of the pandemic. I'm proud that Canada has a socially cohesive society in which we place a high value on community well-being.