13 Sep 2021

Using A.I to detect risks of disease outbreaks

From Nine To Noon, 9:30 am on 13 September 2021
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Photo: Markus Spiske/Pexels

Researchers are proposing a system to use Artificial Intelligence to detect the early warning signs of outbreaks of disease or financial disasters. The team at AgResearch says A.I. could be used to trawl through vast amounts of data globally to identify unusual patterns in commerce and trading, or actions by governments or large companies, which could point to looming risks. That means A.I. could be used to identify diseases like M.bovis or the kiwifruit disease Psa in the early stages, or even predict future pandemics or economic disasters. The technology could mean quicker responses and better outcomes, potentially saving the New Zealand economy hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade. Lynn speaks with Mark Wever, a senior scientist at AgResearch.