AI & CORONA OBSERVATORY

AI & CORONA OBSERVATORY

OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF AI USED IN TIMES OF CORONA

WHAT DO WE LOOK AT?

  • "Medical AI"

    Medical use of AI involves applications that are directly related to the medical aspects of the Corona-crisis: epidemiology, molecular research, clinical practice and provision of care such as:

    • drug and vaccine development with AI
    • AI driven disease path prediction
    • AI diagnostics (image recognition)
    • AI optimization of the provision of care (e.g. the distribution of PPE)
  • "Societal AI"

    Societal use of AI involves applications that are related to the public and private aspects of the Corona crisis: policy measures, distance learning, remote working, delivery of information such as:

    • AI monitoring of social distancing, mask wearing, etc.
    • AI and remote education and examination
    • AI driven (dis)information on the pandemic

HOW DO WE ASSESS?

HOW TO ‘READ’ THE BARS

Scope of Use (Narrow | Medium | Wide)

Scope of use indicates whether the AI-application is merely being researched or its use is limited (‘narrow’ or 0% – 30%), it is used regularly but not widely (‘medium’ or 30% – 70%), or whether it is used widely (‘wide’ or 70% – 100%). These indications are based on desk research only. Some applications are being used ‘under the radar’, indicated by the attribute ‘covert’.

Impact on citizens and society
Impact on citizens and society
Impact on citizens and society

Positive impact (blue) involves e.g. improvement of health and safety, better access to and availability of healthcare, better social well-being, better financial status.

Negative impact (red) involves e.g. undesired precedent, impact on human rights, biased outcomes, lack of full accessibility, negative environmental impact.

Positive+negative impact (orange) involves e.g. both great improvement of health and impact on human rights

Technological robustness and efficacy

Technological robustness looks at security, accuracy and reproducibility of the AI-application. Efficacy looks at whether there is a sound problem definition and if the AI-application contributes to solving the problem.

Governance and Accountability

Governance looks at whether there is a legal basis (necessary) for the deployment of the AI-application, and if for example a ‘sunset clause’ exists. It also looks at purpose limitation, i.e. a guarantee that the AI-application is only used to serve a specific purpose. Accountability looks at if there is a clear structure of responsibility.

Acceptable trade-offs in times of crisis

The special circumstances of this crisis might lead to a trade-off of one requirement against another that could be different than in normal times. ‘Acceptable trade-offs’ looks at whether an AI-application that under normal circumstances would not be accepted, might be accepted under specific conditions given the urgency of this crisis.

THE AI-APPLICATIONS

THE AI-APPLICATIONS

Scope of Use
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Governance and Accountability
Acceptable Trade-offs in crisis
Scope of Use (COVERT)
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Governance and Accountability
Acceptable Trade-offs in crisis
Scope of Use
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Governance and Accountability
Acceptable Trade-offs in crisis

Protein Structure

Scope of Use
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Governance and Accountability
Acceptable Trade-offs in crisis
Scope
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (n/a)
Govern. and Accountability (n/a)
Acceptable Trade-offs (n/a)
Scope (estimated)
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable Trade-offs
Scope
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable Trade-offs
Scope (only research)
Impact on Citizens and Society (blue=pos, red=neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (unproven)
Govern. and Accountability (importance)
Scope
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (more research needed)
Impact on Citizens and Society (red=neg)
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs
Scope
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (more research needed)
Impact on Citizens and Society (red=neg)
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs
Scope
Impact on Citizens and Society (orange=pos+neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (more research needed)
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs
Scope (n.a.)
Impact on Citizens and Society (orange=pos+neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (more research needed)
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs
Scope
Impact on Citizens and Society (orange=pos+neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (more research needed)
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs
Scope (only research)
Impact on Citizens and Society (orange=pos+neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy (more research needed)
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs (n.a.)

COVID-19 Diagnosis

Scope (only research)
Impact on Citizens and Society (orange=pos+neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs (n.a.)

COVID-19 Prognosis

Scope (only research)
Impact on Citizens and Society (orange=pos+neg)
Technological Robustness and Efficacy
Govern. and Accountability
Acceptable trade-offs (n.a.)