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For Quick Coronavirus Testing, Israel Turns to a Clever Algorithm

David Halbfinger

August 21, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Israel, Beersheba

The Israeli government is preparing to roll out a new form of pooled testing as the count of COVID-19 cases continues to increase. The methodology, which has already shown promise as a successful pilot project, works more efficiently than other pooled-testing efforts by using a combinatorial algorithm that was "developed a decade ago to speed the detection of rare genetic mutations."

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This AI startup is tackling the coronavirus disinformation deluge

Sirin Kale

August 14, 2020 |

Wired |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Logically is a fact-checking app that combines AI technology and human research to assess and label the truthfulness of news articles. The app has about 20,000 users after a soft launch in the UK, with a full launch planned for late 2020. The AI technology, a feature that makes the app unique, tries to match news claims to other sources and then human researchers take over to make a final judgment. The app has been busy fact-checking the extensive Covid-19 related misinformation. Some aspects, like technology glitches and slow fact-checking responses from researchers, still need to be worked out.

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AI & Big Data Will Lead to Better Conservation

Jake Bullinger

August 07, 2020 |

Bitterroot |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Naturalists are using technology like smartphone cameras and artificial intelligence to better track animal and plant conservation efforts across the United States. The online platform eButterfly allows users to share photos of butterflies that can inform scientists about how certain species’ ranges are shifting. Colorado Parks and Wildlife use a version of AI to identify and count species photographed by camera traps. While, AI could allow scientists to sort through more images and map out more complex ecological relationships, machine-learning algorithms take time to set up and large datasets to train.

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Bellevue uses AI technology to identify problem intersections and make them safer

Michelle Baruchman

August 07, 2020 |

The Seattle Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Bellevue, Washington

Artificial intelligence and traffic cameras are being used to identify dangerous intersections in Bellevue, Washington. Data from thousands of hours of footage revealed that intersections where drivers, bikers and pedestrians had near misses were the most problematic spots in need of improvement. Leveraging traffic data allowed the city to pinpoint potentially dangerous situations relatively quickly and implement the changes that are needed to secure those intersections.

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Building Trees in the Metaverse Might Actually Save the Forest

Teresa Carey

August 02, 2020 |

Freethink |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Southern Pines, North Carolina

By building scientifically accurate virtual tress, NatureXR is providing an opportunity for scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders to use virtual reality to understand ecosystems and model conservation impacts. Creating an authentic 3D-version of a tree can be challenging, but by developing a “procedural” tree, the software can generate a forest of trees that are unique, accurate, and realistic. VR nature can also make the environment accessible for people who might not be able to experience it due to disabilities, distance, or even fear.

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How Your Local Election Clerk Is Fighting Global Disinformation

Matt Vasilogambros

July 20, 2020 |

Stateline |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Many entities are working with social media companies to flag election-related disinformation. The California Secretary of State emails voters about how to report false information so the state can flag it and the Arizona Secretary of State verifies official accounts with social media companies. In the private sector, the startup VineSite uses artificial intelligence to identify and flag false information and the nonprofit Mitre has an app used by 160 election officials to report social media disinformation. Officials have a good relationship with social media companies, but there is room for improvement.

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How Facebook is using AI to boost blood donation

Faustine Ngila

June 25, 2020 |

Nation Africa |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Kenya

A partnership between Facebook and the Ministry of Health in Kenya has helped connect blood banks with blood donors. The process uses artificial intelligence and geo-location data to notify Facebook users who have signed up as blood donors when blood banks in their area are in need of donations.

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How ‘Sustainable' Web Design Can Help Fight Climate Change

Clive Thompson

June 23, 2020 |

Wired |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Netherlands

As part of a growing movement in sustainable software design, Danny Van Kooten, a Dutch programmer, refactored the code on his website plug-in to reduce the amount of energy expended when someone interacts with it. About 2 million websites use his plug-in and by trimming the code, he estimates that he reduced the world’s monthly carbon dioxide output by 59,000 kilograms. While larger companies like video-streaming services put out more emissions, individual website owners can take steps to reduce their own CO2 footprint.

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How tech is tackling wildlife trafficking

Richard Kenny

June 23, 2020 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Cambodia

Three examples of new science behind successful efforts to prevent or punish the poaching of protected wildlife starts with PAWS: Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security, an artificial intelligence tool that helped officials in Cambodia predict where poachers would set snares. In an undisclosed location in East Africa, another form of AI powers a miniature trail camera that can detect human activity and alert rangers to rush in for arrests. And Kenya prosecuted four cases of pangolin trafficking by using a new method of lifting fingerprints from the poached animals' precious scales.

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Need a Quran teacher? There's an AI for that

Aysha Khan

May 20, 2020 |

Religion News Service |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

An AI app is potentially eliminating the need for Quran teachers by offering precise feedback to those who are learning to recite or memorize the holy book of Islam. Tarteel uses machine learning technology to enable speech recognition, allowing it to test users' knowledge of the Quran and to receive feedback on recitation without a teacher. The tool can identify mistakes and has a memorization mode, only revealing words as they are recited. Building such an accurate tool "requires a vast data set to train a deep neural network" so users who opt in are crowdsourcing the data set needed to power Tarteel.

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