02/05/2020 - S & T | Mainstorming

Aradhana Tiwari 4 years

The present state of health emergency across the globe has led to a new wave of transformative technologies emerging as a possible solution to contain the COVID -19 pandemic.

Tech sectors are integrally involved with clinicians, academics, and government entities around the world to activate technology to contain the outbreak. In this direction, Govt of India(GOI) has launched an AI-enabled smartphone application called "Aarogya Setu".

>>> How artificial intelligence, data science, and technology are being used to manage and fight COVID-19 ?

- AI to identify, track and forecast outbreaks :

"The better we can track the virus, the better we can fight it". Canadian startup "BlueDot", Indian startup "Staqu" uses AI to track potential suspect.

- AI to help diagnose the virus : A coronavirus AI solution helps front-line healthcare workers detect and monitor the disease efficiently.

- Drones deliver medical supplies : One of the safest and fastest ways to get medical supplies where they need to go during a disease outbreak is with drone delivery. Drones also are used to patrol public spaces, track non-compliance to quarantine mandates, and for thermal imaging.

- Robots sterilize, deliver food and supplies and perform other tasks : Robots aren’t susceptible to the virus, so they are being deployed to complete many tasks such as cleaning and sterilizing , and delivering food and medicine to reduce the amount of human-to-human contact.

>>> Conclusion :

In the present scenario, the need for more secure, fast and efficient processes will merit the implementation of artificial intelligence and data science to help fight the pandemic effectively.

IAS Parliament 4 years

Good attempt. Keep Writing.

IAS Parliament 5 years

KEY POINTS

With new technologies and concepts taking shape every day, is it safe to assume that artificial intelligence (AI) will take centrestage in controlling such pandemics in the future.

The Indian tech story

· In India, the government has already launched an AI-enabled smartphone application called Aarogya Setu, which helps users check if they have crossed paths with patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

· The app uses the phone number of the user, along with the location data of the smartphone and matches his/her movements with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data on the backend. The ICMR data already has the movements of patients who have tested positive for the virus.

· Staqu, a Gurugram-based startup, has launched a unique thermal camera that makes use of advanced technologies such as AI to track potential suspects. Using video analytics, Staqu’s technology could be a risk-free way to help identify coronavirus suspects as it helps avoid human contact.

AI leading the global fight

· According to research firm Gartner, by 2022, smart machines and robots may fill in for some of the highly trained professionals globally. While the report indicates the replacement of some human workforce by robotics, there seems to be a non-anticipated advantage for us in these difficult times where robots can be providing services to infected patients. Thereby, keeping humans away from contracting the dreaded coronavirus.

· Recently, Canadian AI firm Bluedot was gathering reports from around the world, tracking networks and air passengers to predict places where the virus can next spread. In the present scenario, the need for more secure, fast and efficient processes will merit the implementation of artificial intelligence.

· A tool built at Boston Children’s Hospital called Healthmap keeps a close eye on social media, procuring informational reports and data about infected cases via online spaces and chatrooms.