Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes Staff
D.W.G. Kalani Tharanga is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Political Blogs.
As the world braces for what some experts are calling "Disease X," the next potential global pandemic, there's a growing belief that the next outbreak similar in scale to Covid 19 is almost inevitable. Forecasts suggest there's a one in four chance of a pandemic of that magnitude occurring within the next decade. While the specific pathogen remains unknown, it could be anything from a new influenza strain to an entirely new virus. Amid these concerns, researchers are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to predict and mitigate the impact of future pandemics.
AI-Based Early Warning Systems: A New Frontier in Pandemic Prediction
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), are developing an AI driven early warning system. Part of the US National Science Foundation's Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention program, the system aims to identify early signs of future outbreaks by analyzing social media posts. Billions of tweets, collected from platforms like X (formerly Twitter), are being processed to detect public health trends that could signal the start of an epidemic. Professor Chen Li from UCI’s Department of Computer Science notes that this machine learning model categorizes significant events and can even evaluate the effects of public health policies and treatments.
However, the system is not without its limitations. It primarily relies on data from X, which is not available in all countries. Expanding its reach to other regions will require overcoming data scarcity and potential bias. Despite these challenges, the tool holds promise for public health departments and hospitals, offering a new approach to early pandemic detection.
AI in Vaccine and Therapeutic Development
AI is also revolutionizing the development of vaccines and therapeutics. EVEScape, an AI tool developed by Harvard Medical School and the University of Oxford, ranks new coronavirus variants and has made accurate predictions about other viruses like HIV and influenza. According to researcher Nikki Thadani, this technology can provide early insights into future viral mutations, potentially aiding vaccine manufacturers in staying ahead of rapidly evolving pathogens.
Pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca are also harnessing AI to speed up antibody discovery, a critical component in vaccine development. AI helps generate and screen large libraries of antibodies, reducing the time to identify promising candidates from months to just days. As Jim Wetherall, AstraZeneca's vice president of data science and AI R&D, points out, this efficiency is vital in preparing for pandemics, as viruses like Covid 19 mutate quickly.
The Human Element: Trust and Ethical Use of AI
While AI offers immense potential, experts caution that technology alone is not enough to prevent or manage the next pandemic. Dr. In Kyu Yoon from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) highlights that AI's effectiveness depends on the quality of data input. He emphasizes that AI is a tool, not a solution in itself, and that its success relies on human decision making and ethical use.
At the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Philip AbdelMalik stresses that AI can help detect potential threats, but it is crucial to avoid misinformation and ensure equitable data representation. Ultimately, trust, collaboration, and information sharing are seen as more important than technology in preparing for future pandemics.
Experts agree that while AI has made us more prepared for the next global health crisis, building strong relationships and trust across borders will be essential in managing "Disease X" when it arrives.
