Artificial intelligence and its contribution to overcome COVID-19

Artificial intelligence (AI) has a great impact on our daily living and makes our lives more efficient and productive. Especially during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, AI has played a key role in response to the global health crisis. There has been a boom in AI innovation and its use since the pandemic. However, despite its widespread adoption and great potential, most people have little knowledge of AI concepts and realization of its potential. The objective of this white paper is to communicate the importance of AI and its benefits to society. The report covers AI applications in six different topics from medicine (AI deployment in clinical settings, imaging and diagnostics, and acceleration of drug discovery) to more social aspects (support older adults in long-term care homes, and AI in supporting small and medium enterprises. The report ends with nine steps to consider for moving forward with AI implementation during and post pandemic period. These include legal and ethical data collection and storage, greater data access, multidisciplinary collaboration, and policy reform.