Recent developments in AI applied to infectious disease research

A study published in the journal Nature illustrates the advances of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in infectious disease research and epidemic response, with particular emphasis on safety, responsibility, and ethics in the use of this emerging technology. The study, the result of a partnership between scientists at the University of Oxford and colleagues from academia, industry, and policy organisations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe, comes amid a growing global debate about AI investment and regulation. Over the next five years, AI integration into national systems could better predict epidemics, saving lives. Lead author Moritz Kraemer of the University of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute notes that using climate and economic data could also predict epidemics’ impact on patients by studying immune system-pathogen interactions. Advances in disease surveillance, accelerating the identification of new variants and the development of effective vaccines; integrating population-level data with data from individual-level sources to better track outbreaks; and creating a new interface between highly technical science and healthcare professionals are also opportunities for AI. Nevertheless, the lead author of the study, Samir Bhatt of the University of Copenhagen and Imperial College London, emphasises that while AI provides policymakers with a substantial set of tools to guide informed decisions regarding intervention strategies, it cannot fully substitute for human expertise in the management of infectious diseases.