AI expected to play smart role in China's epidemic control

Staff members checking passengers' temperature at the exit of Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 28, 2020. - Xinhua

BEIJING (Xinhua): China has called on the country's artificial intelligence (AI) sector to lend their technological hands to help battle the epidemic.

Research and development should be enhanced and industrial cooperation is encouraged to contribute to the discovery, awareness and control of the novel coronavirus, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Tuesday (Feb 4) in a proposal.

Related AI technologies could be applied to roll out smart devices to support diagnosis and treatment, and used in telecommuting, online education and intelligent production to ensure minimal disruption to people's lives.

The proposal also encouraged the sector to optimise algorithms and enhance computing power to aid the development of related drugs and vaccines.

AI is already in use in the country's epidemic control efforts. Some hospitals are using smart devices to assist diagnosis while train stations install AI-empowered thermal imagers to take passengers' temperature. - Xinhua