Now is the time for an economic stimulus in artificial intelligence -- or the US could fall behind

The COVID-19 virus has inflicted significant pain on the US economy as airlines have cancelled thousands of flights, restaurants and retailers have shut down, and sporting events and concerts have gone silent. In response, congressional lawmakers joined together and threw an immediate lifeline of $2 trillion to small businesses, hospitals, and individuals to tackle the crisis. While Americans remain holed up in their homes, the US government and Congress are considering additional stimulus efforts to get the economy back on its feet. Additional assistance for families, businesses, and healthcare workers should and will, of course, be front and center, but one area of new stimulus should not be overlooked -- artificial intelligence. AI technology has already proven its ability to assist in the COVID-19 response by utilizing supercomputers to accelerate the research of treatments to COVID-19, as well as enabling grocery stores to better predict food and supply chain shortages.