AI specialists contribute supplies for combating coronavirus

Group 42, an Abu Dhabi-based AI technology company, has announced its efforts to help healthcare workers battling the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China.

The company is supplying hundreds of thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other goods essential for detecting, treating and preventing the deadly disease. In addition, Group 42 is providing workers with portable diagnostic kits to help search for an effective treatment for coronavirus. It is also focused on protecting UAE’s borders, leveraging its AI capabilities and collaborating with local authorities.

This decision to help out, according to a prepared statement, was inspired by the UAE’s “tradition of playing the role of a responsible global citizen whenever catastrophes struck any part of the world.”

“As the virus emergency escalates, we feel compelled to make our expertise and resources available to those in need,” Peng Xiao, CEO of Group 42, said in the statement. “Our team is actively working with our partners to support local and foreign authorities in a collective effort to curb the spread of the disease and to help discover a cure in the shortest possible time.”

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

Around the web

A string of executive orders from the White House created serious concerns among radiologists and other healthcare providers throughout the United States. The American College of Radiology issued a statement to help guide its members through the chaos. 

Bridgefield Capital, founded in 2015, has previously invested in such popular brands as Cirque Du Soleil, Del Monte and Quiksilver. This transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025. 

Given the precarious excitement of the moment—or is it exciting precarity?—policymakers and healthcare leaders must set directives guiding not only what to do with AI but also when to do it.