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Unfortunately, lately corona is starting to reappear again and according to RIVM the ‘fall wave’ has started (NOS, 2022). To intervene as best as possible, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used in helping experts to address the COVID pandemic.

First of all, in brief, what exactly is Artificial Intelligence? In a nutshell, it is the automation of brainpower. Certain work that used to be done by humans is now being taken over by machines and systems that have advanced softwares built into them. These smart machines are very intelligent because they are not extensively pre-programmed. The jobs these machines have to do are not pre-determined but learned or taught themselves. The given problem must be very specific on which the system is trained, the software can mimic human thinking to a certain extent. So (fortunately) it cannot replace humans (Editorial KPN, 2020). 

Consequently, large companies, such as Google and Facebook, are using AI (Editorial KPN, 2020). Facebook is now collaborating with academic researchers and other experts to use AI tools for COVID-related initiatives to keep people informed about the COVID pandemic. The main goal is keeping people safe by keeping them informed, AI is thus an important tool to support public health experts (Facebook, 2021).

For instance, a COVID-19 forecasting model has already been created. This model can be used by governments, researchers, and aid providers to help communities. Aid workers and health care providers can now better determine how they will use and allocate their resources. The model has also been expanded by including vaccinations. 

To use the model accurately, it takes into account the demographic properties. Work on the model continues to keep COVID’s prediction techniques as precise as possible. Since the data is very fast evolving and complex, it remains a challenge to make predictions at the county level. Work is in progress to make special predictions for hospitals and to analyze clinical data as well. Based on what has already been accomplished, the system continues to improve together with AI to combat COVID as best as possible (Facebook, 2021).

Facebook. (2021, 30 June). Using AI to help health experts address the COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved 4 October https://ai.facebook.com/blog/using-ai-to-help-health-experts-address-the-covid-19-pandemic/

KPN editor. (2020, 5 May). Artificial Intelligence: wat is het, voorbeelden en toepassingen. Retrieved 4 October https://www.kpn.com/zakelijk/blog/artificial-intelligence-definitie-voorbeelden-en-toepassingen.htm

NOS. (2022, 11 Oct). Ziekenhuisopnamens door corona lopen op, waarschuwingsniveau verhoogd. Retrieved 14 October https://nos.nl/artikel/2447945-ziekenhuisopnames-door-corona-lopen-op-waarschuwingsniveau-verhoogd

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Every parent wants to create the safest environment for his/her children, small mistakes can have large consequences. The living environment of children is in several places, outside in the garden, at home in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and at daycare, it is important that safety is put first in these places. In order to prevent accidents, the living environment of small children must be made as safe as possible. Thereby, “safety education” should be started immediately when the child is old enough for it. The government of Flanders has therefore devised a challenge to come up with a proposal to use Augmented Reality (AR) to create the safest possible living environment for children (Government of Flanders, n.d.).

With AR, the user’s environment is integrated “in real life” with digital information. So, there is a real environment with generated perceptual information embedded in it. AR is therefore used to change the real environment or to provide users with additional information. AR manages to mix digital and 3D components with the perception of the real world. AR comes in different forms; it can be applied to smartphones, and tablets, or glasses. AR technology does require hardware components, such as sensors, processors, input devices, and a display. Smartphones often have all this hardware, cameras, fixed compass, Global Positioning System (GPS), and accelerometers. This makes usage more accessible. Apps have also already been developed with special 3D programs that present animations or digital information, for example, in Snapchat you can apply filters (Gilles, 2022).

To solve the challenge, the idea is to create an app with these AR features, combining the real environment with providing additional information (safety applications). Using a tablet or smartphone (with the required hardware components), the living environment of parents with children will be scanned. In the scanned environment, objects and elements must be recognized in the furnishings. AR then detects these objects and identifies hazards. Based on this, advice and tips should be given on how to make the living environment safer for children in order to prevent accidents (Government of Flanders, n.d.).

Gilles, A.S. (n.d.). Augmented Reality (AR). Retrieved 4 October https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/augmented-reality-AR

Government of Flanders. (n.d.). Challenge: Augmented Reality verhoogt veiligheid leefomgeving van het jonge kind. Retrieved 14 October https://overheid.vlaanderen.be/challenge-augmented-reality-verhoogt-veiligheid-leefomgeving-van-het-jonge-kind