APPLICATIONS
As the world battled against the COVID-19 pandemic , leaders , healthcare professionals and technologists all looked for solutions to combat the virus ’ s spread to prevent its damaging effects .
Playing a pivotal role in the fight was artificial intelligence ( AI ). In the early stages of the crisis , AI was used to track the spread of the disease , helping to predict where the disease would develop next and how quickly it would spread . The technology was also used to monitor and analyse key trends , in addition to accelerating the development of test kits .
Just one year after its outbreak , the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) released a report into the impact of AI in health , highlighting its importance and providing guidance for its design and use .
“ We can expect artificial intelligence to assist with more proactive containment of future outbreaks ”
ARASH GHAZANFARI CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER , DELL TECHNOLOGIES
A key way to control and minimise virus outbreaks is early identification , followed closely by isolation and treatment . With AI , healthcare environments can improve their ability to model and predict where the disease might spread next . In the case of the COVID pandemic , AI-generated insights that helped direct resources – such as test kits and human resources – to where they were needed most . aimagazine . com 63