Artificial Intelligence and COVID-19
For years, artificial intelligence has been viewed as the next big thing within the tech industry - but its reality has never matched the hype. Now, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic might mean that AI’s will become more relevant within our society.
Within the past couple of months, tech executives have shared the same mission: Companies have to adapt and change their operations to a remote-working environment. That's why they have increased their spending on powerful cloud computing technologies and have changed their traditional practices online.
With fewer employees in the office, these changes will help companies operate more reliably and rapidly. But more corporate data is needed for companies to improve their AI capabilities - from increased robotic automation to better predictive automation. We'll show how artificial intelligence has been increasing in relevancy as it fights against the coronavirus pandemic.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
To understand the reasoning behind artificial intelligence, a bit of background info might be useful: AI is based on data and computer science research that looks on how to imitate human intelligence skills.
Artificial intelligence uses powerful algorithms to analyze data and identify patterns. These algorithms can be used to anticipate, guess what consumers want to buy next, or provide important insights.
With machine learning, algorithms can improve themselves without the need for programming. Machine learning is one subset of AI that can create applications to provide protection against fraudulent transactions.
AI’s Impact on the Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic increases the need for AI, we can expect to see more companies use it. Big tech companies have already demonstrated the use of AI in fighting the coronavirus. For example, Amazon has partnered with researches to see which populations are at risk and create a “future warning system” for new outbreaks. BlueDot, a startup that’s funded by Amazon Web Services, uses machine learning to look through massive amounts of data and anticipate the spread in China.
The pandemic lockdown has also affected consumer behaviors in ways that will stimulate AI’s growth and development. A good example is through the e-commerce industry: consumers now buy online to avoid the risk of buying in stores. This buyer information is giving sellers more data to predict shopping habits and consumer preferences.
The growth of online activity has lead to the emergence of virtual customer service agents. Based on the International Machines Corporation, only 20% of companies have adopted the use of artificial intelligence. They predict that almost all industries and enterprises will adopt AI technology within the upcoming years. By giving computers the task of handling easier questions, human representatives can manage difficult interactions, thus improving customer satisfaction and service.
Artificial Intelligence and Remote Working
Remote working is another area of opportunity that's influenced by AI technology. As companies face the challenge of bringing workers to office, they might be more open to using artificial intelligence to handle data entry tasks. AI's ability to update databases and read invoices without human intervention will improve its accuracy while reducing the need for some forms of office work.
Blue Prism, Automation Anywhere, and UiPath are the three main vendors within this sector, with a total market share of $850 last year. There are more imaginative artificial intelligence projects that have been created. Facebook has announced the use of an AI assistant to give you furniture and clothing recommendations based on your personal taste and the appearance of your room.
NVIDIA’s AI-Enabled Computer Chips
NVIDIA might be in a great position for the AI and tech industry. Its chip, which was used for video games, has morphed into a platform used for AI applications. Also, NVIDIA makes the most effective graphical processing units, so it leads to the AI chip market used by cloud computing companies.
On the other hand, we cannot ignore the setbacks that come from this AI renaissance. There are many upcoming issues such as job loss, as robots and software replace the basic jobs provided by humans. As more data is stored on the cloud, the chances of a data breach increases.
High-level security will be another main area of focus for business executives and technology. They will have to be vigilant in preventing AI algorithms from discriminating against minority groups, starting with compiling accurate datasheets and monitoring current technology.
Global Coalition Aims to Use AI against COVID-19
A new coalition backed by the UN and the United States has agreed upon using AI to battle against COVID-19. The Collective and Augmented Intelligence Against Covid-19 (CAIAC) created a platform that relies on both human and AI expertise to enhance COVID-19 decision making.
The group is working with a few private sectors to help bring the project off the ground, including Planet, GLG, Element AI, C3.ai, stability.ai, and Axis.
Ideally, the alliance focuses on three cases for this platform, while using cases that have been relevant for multilateral organizations:
Identifying and fixing inaccurate information on COVID-19
Tracking and tracing the spread through artificial intelligence and mobility data.
Finding marginalized areas affected by 2nd and 3rd wave pandemic impacts to provide the necessary interventions needed.
Other Firms Use AI to Combat COVID-19
The alliance also follows a group of AI initiatives that plan on using big data and AI to combat the COVID-19 crisis. For instance, Microsoft has announced they are partnering with a biotechnology firm in Seattle to create a virtual clinical study that maps the COVID-19 immune response.
Also, IBM has developed an open-source toolkit for data scientists and developers who want to spot patterns in the coronavirus pandemic. In March, a unique cooperative effort between government, industry, and academic researchers created a structured data set that can help the machine learning community advance their COVID-19 research.
Conclusion
Due to the developments of artificial technology and big data, we can expect to see advanced technological procedures prevent the spread. Through AI, humanity can create accurate predictions and potentially find a vaccine within a year. As AI continues to develop, so will the solutions needed to bring this COVID-19 pandemic to an end.
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