COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus, is making headlines on a daily basis.

It’s disrupting our private and professional lives and in profound ways too. Stock market brokers claim they’ve never seen grimmer days. Healthcare facilities are overwhelmed and businesses closed.

Experts argue we might be on a brink of entering another recession.

Yet, there are some silver linings to be aware of. Governments and corporations are determined to maximize technologies such as AI to keep track of the disease spread. They also seek to harness its power for combating it.

Artificial intelligence solutions remove the guesswork from the decision making equation. Though there are challenges to using big data and AI, the benefit to the world is worth the endeavor. Using advanced technology shows us a potential way forward, out of the woods. Here are some of the main AI applications from battlefields around the world.

A Ray of Hope at the End of a Tunnel

COVID-19 is tearing through the global economy and claiming more and more victims.  

As panic, confusion, and fear run amok, business leaders have to stay collected. Many of them have joined forces with academics, government bodies, and healthcare workers.

They all rallied around one banner of hope: artificial intelligence.

In China, tech companies in the league of Huawei serve as a prime example. They play a vital role in deploying AI technology to fight the war with the “invisible enemy”.

Elsewhere around the globe, similar developments take place. AI company called Infervision initiated a platform to aid healthcare staff on the frontlines. In particular, their imaging solution accelerates the CT diagnosis speed.

Business and administrative departments of healthcare facilities are under severe pressure too. They struggle to process a slew of patient claims. AI reduces the workload and in some cases eliminates the need for face-to-face interactions.

As you know, these encounters can be both dangerous and time-consuming these days.

A similar example comes from a startup Suki. It provides doctors with AI voice assistants. They allowed doctors to schedule telemedicine visits and produce clinical notes.

Making Strides toward Treatment and Cure

Google is also one of the tech giants that are on a war footing.

Its AI algorithms are working night and day to break down and analyze the virus. Acquired insights should aid in the development of effective treatments and drugs.

It could also fast-track the creation of the much-needed Coronavirus vaccine. To make it happen, AI has to create a copy of the COVID-19’s genome sequence.

The good news is that scientists in China already accomplished this in just a month. This is remarkable considering that back in 2003, recreating the SARS genome sequence took several months.

This creates room for optimism that diagnostic tests and vaccine clinical trials will come sooner rather than later. Open policies and up-to-date findings will be of paramount importance here.

AI is Leading the Race

Furthermore, AI is capable of identifying and monitoring virus outbreaks.

This enables various actors to accurately predict how the crisis will unravel. We can also assess related risks and come up with a mitigation plan ahead of time.

In fact, some startups already offer this exact service to clients across the globe. For instance, BlueDot’s AI mounts advanced machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP).

It detected a series threat before the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an official warning. What is more, it was faster than the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Other groups have been using scientific articles and x-ray data to analyze via machine learning hoping to find patterns and solutions to the current pandemic.

This just goes to show that AI is way ahead of even the best experts around. It makes forecasts and estimates quicker, cheaper, and more precise. That’s a true win-win if I ever saw one.

Adept at Crunching Data

AI engines process a wealth of data sources in an incredibly short amount of time.

The list includes news outlets, social media, government reports, etc. For example, AI can pull data to evaluate individual risk factors. They may relate to someone’s travel history, time spent in a hospital, and exposure to infected people.

China wasted no time employing cutting-edge surveillance systems integrated with facial recognition and temperature detection capacities.  While controversial, this move enabled the government to enforce compliance and scour for infected individuals.

I expect to see cases of AI predicting human behavior in the wake of potential outbreaks. This should make it easier to brace families and businesses for impact.

And rest assured many more companies will find new uses for the algorithms and AIs.

Benefits will eventually spill over to the economy and society at large.  Do yourself a favor and tap into this ever-growing pool of intelligence.

Rolling with the Punches

There are also ways to use AI to minimize the disruptive influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let me give you an example. To make up for the lack of face-to-face customer interaction, you may want to leverage chatbots.

Thanks to AI and ML capabilities, these virtual helpers can accommodate queries around the clock. They are essential customer service and communication tools that prevent human staff overload.  

I would say these qualities make them a must-consider for any business owner.

Another illustration comes in the form of AI-powered recommendation systems. Many brick-and-mortar stores aren’t an option, but e-commerce is continuing. So, why not target customers with product suggestions based on rich data?

Beyond these opportunities lies a vast spectrum of other AI use cases. Be quick on your feet and keep up the pace with the latest trends and news.

Artificial Intelligence Solutions as Saving Grace

In many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to reach a fever pitch and hopefully slow down.

Face masks and hand-washing only go so far. We need more than that, but it’s not all doom and gloom out there. AI promises to turn the tide of the battle in our favor.

It lies at the core of the collaborative, cross-border effort to overcome one of the biggest crises since World War II.

It supports efforts related to understanding, treating, and containing the disease. We are able to discover virus hotspots or detect infected individuals. This means we can save more lives and stabilize our businesses.

All in all, making the most of artificial intelligence solutions has never been a more vital priority.

Secure your ultimate startup checklist to supercharge your operations. Stay in-the-know and make educated decisions instead of succumbing to panic.