A new artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo and DarwinAI, an alumni-founded startup company, could help doctors efficiently utilize limited resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. The system is able to identify patients who require intensive care unit (ICU) treatment. The AI system predicts this necessity of ICU admission through the use of 200 clinical data points, which include blood test results, medical history, and vital signs. Alexander Wong is a professor of systems design engineering and Canada Research Chair in AI and Medical Imaging at Waterloo. "That is a very important step in the clinical decision support process for triaging patients and developing treatment plans," Wong said.