Researchers from Cambridge, Mass.-based Harvard University and Stanford (Calif.) University on July 9 launched the Collective and Augmented Intelligence Against COVID-19 alliance, designed to be a comprehensive database for public officials and healthcare professionals.
Here are four things to know about the alliance:
- CAIAC is led by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and the Future Society, a Harvard think tank. UNESCO and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation provided support for the project.
- To ensure policymakers are better prepared to take appropriate action, CAIAC aims to gather various data sources and expert views to build an artificial intelligence-powered decision support tool. The Future Society and HAI have partnered with private sector tech companies to develop the machine learning that will power the tool.
- The alliance is aiming to develop a tool focused on tracking COVID-19 contraction chains, limiting COVID-19 misinformation and identifying geographic areas that need the most attention.
- CAIAC will be available to health organizations and governmental bodies. The alliance will focus on United Nations agencies as some of its initial users.