Chinese scientist wants a new Skynet-like system just for tracking viruses

The proposed monitoring system would rely on AI, 5G and big data

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Chen Jing, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, wants a surveillance network for deadly pathogens. (Picture: Sam Tsang/SCMP)

Published: 5:00am, 22 May 2020Updated: 5:57am, 22 May 2020

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

A prominent biomedical researcher in China wants the country to establish a Skynet-type surveillance system for tracking diseases like Covid-19.

Cheng Jing, a professor at Tsinghua University’s Medical Systems Biology Research Centre, proposed an automatic monitoring and reporting system for epidemic control that relies on artificial intelligence and 5G. The professor, who is also a deputy to the county’s National People's Congress, compared it to Skynet, China’s vast video surveillance system.

The goal is to create an automatic epidemic monitoring and reporting system without any blind spots, Chen told scientific research-focused media outlet ScienceNet. This proposed system would cover all of China’s cities and counties and use tech such as pathogen detection, big data, AI and 5G.

Cheng is known for having experience with the coronavirus. He’s been dubbed the "virus hunter" in China thanks to his role in developing testing kits for Covid-19 that can produce results in just 1.5 hours. He also helped with the fight against Sars, the deadly disease caused by another coronavirus that struck China in the early 2000s.

According to local media reports, Cheng’s proposal will be submitted during the Two Sessions, China’s most important annual political event that started on Thursday. But there are no public details on exactly how it would be used.