Deepshikha Maan, Jadetimes Staff
D. Maan is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Technology
Over the next decade, experts predict a 25% chance of another pandemic on the scale of Covid 19. It could be caused by influenza, coronavirus, or an entirely new virus. The devastating toll of Covid 19, which infected millions globally, has raised a crucial question: can AI play a role in mitigating future pandemics?
Researchers in California are working on an AI based early warning system aimed at predicting and tracking pandemics. Teams from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as part of the US National Science Foundation’s Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention program, are developing tools to monitor social media for early signs of outbreaks. These tools analyze billions of social media posts to identify potential threats, track their spread, and evaluate public health policies.
According to UCI’s Professor Chen Li, the team has been collecting and analyzing billions of tweets over recent years. The AI system detects significant events and provides early warnings to public health authorities. It also evaluates the effectiveness of interventions on viral spread. However, the project faces challenges, including limited data availability outside the U.S.
Other AI tools are also making strides in pandemic preparedness. Harvard Medical School and the University of Oxford have developed EVEScape, an AI tool that predicts new variants of coronavirus. The tool ranks emerging variants and has made accurate predictions for other viruses like HIV and influenza. According to former postdoctoral fellow Nikki Thadani, EVEScape provides critical insights early in a pandemic, helping vaccine manufacturers and researchers identify potential treatments.
Pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca are also leveraging AI to accelerate antibody discovery. By using AI, they can reduce the time needed to screen potential antibodies from months to days, improving the speed of response to rapidly mutating viruses like Covid 19.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which funded EVEScape, sees AI as a valuable tool for improving pandemic preparedness. Dr. In Kyu Yoon from CEPI emphasized that AI speeds up the process of preparation but acknowledges that it is still dependent on the quality of input data.
While AI offers significant potential, experts caution that it is not a standalone solution. Dr. Philip AbdelMalik from the World Health Organization (WHO) believes AI can help detect early warning signs and flag misinformation, but human oversight is essential. He warns that inaccurate or biased data could lead to faulty predictions.
The consensus among researchers and public health officials is that AI has improved our ability to handle future pandemics. However, they stress that technology alone is not enough. Building trust, fostering collaboration, and improving information sharing are just as critical as technological advancements. While AI can enhance preparedness, it is the relationships and communication between governments, institutions, and the public that will determine how effectively we handle the next pandemic.
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