Artificial intelligence applications surge as China battles to contain coronavirus epidemic
- Autonomous robots have also replaced human cleaners at segregated wards to reduce infection rates
- The voice robot, which collects and checks information such as personal identity, health condition and whereabouts
The coronavirus outbreak has seen a surge in the use of artificial intelligence-backed technology to help contain the spread, including robotic cleaners spraying disinfectant at segregated wards to AI voice assistants calling people to give advice on home-quarantine.
The increasing use of technology comes as the rapidly spreading respiratory illness has resulted in more than 425 deaths, overtaking the number of deaths caused by the Sars epidemic in 2003, according to Chinese health authorities.
Communities in Shanghai have turned to AI for more efficient early screening, with those deemed at high risk receiving calls from a voice recognition bot that asks questions and recommends home quarantine in some cases, according to state-owned Xinmin Evening News.
“Based on your condition, you are advised to stay indoors for a 14-day quarantine observation … We will send your information to community health centres for follow-up and please contact residential committee for any help,” the AI bot told one recipient.
The voice robot, which collects and checks information such as personal identity, health condition and whereabouts through multiple questions, can make about 200 calls within five minutes, compared to the two to three hours it would take to do it manually.
The AI bot can quickly categorise information and produce daily reports, thus speeding up the monitoring process for the spread of the virus, according to the local news report.