Chinese Tech Giants Deploy AI Tools to Accelerate Coronavirus Research
Alibaba and Baidu release artificial intelligence tools to help scientists rapidly sequence the coronavirus genome. These technological efforts join broader initiatives by Google and Facebook to combat the global health crisis.
Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu offer their artificial intelligence tools to help scientists combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak. Alibaba partners with the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute to launch an open-sourced data platform that tracks the virus using AI, while also providing tools to accelerate viral gene sequencing and protein screening for research labs.
Baidu opens up its LinearFold RNA prediction algorithm to genetic testing agencies and scientific institutes worldwide to aid vaccine creation. This powerful algorithm reduces the time required to predict the virus's RNA secondary structure from 55 minutes to just 27 seconds, allowing researchers to understand the virus much faster.
Other major tech companies also join the global response effort as the World Health Organization declares a global emergency. Google activates SOS alerts to provide users with direct access to vital information, while Facebook and Instagram actively scan their platforms to remove posts that spread dangerous misinformation about the epidemic.