Press Coverage

ligence, uses a what is known as GeoAI in technical parlance. What is GeoAI? Artificial Intelligence is a broad term that describes the ability of a machine to learn a task or workflow. So, Geospatial AI, or GeoAI, simply refines the scope of that learning to spatially oriented tasks, explains Dr Este Geraghty, Chief Medical Officer, Esri. Machine Learning and data mining, aided by high powered computing, form the foundation of GeoAI, with geospatial science also offering the tools and technologies (right from sensors capturing location data to GIS or Location Intelligence systems) that help experts to visualize, understand and analyze real-world phenomena according to particular locations. GeoAI is increasingly being used to model and capture the environment around Machine Learning and data mining aided by high powered computing form the foundation of GeoAI, with geospatial science also offering the tools and technologies that help experts to visualize, understand and develop predictive models for real-world phenomena according to specific locations. Authorities and health experts are increasingly relying on GeoAI to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. By Anusuya Datta A SPATIAL TOUCH O n December 30, 2019, BlueDot, a Canada-based Artificial Intel- ligence startup, sent out an alert to its clients about a cluster of "unusual pneumonia" cases being reported around a wet market in Wuhan, China. BlueDot was reporting on what would come to be known as the COVID-19 pan- demic in due course. It would be a good ten days before the World Health Organization finally made a formal announcement on Jan- uary 9, 2020 about the emergence of a Novel Coronavirus in China. Since then, the virus has affected 216 countries around the world, infecting millions of people. BlueDot, which claims to protect people around the world from infectious diseases with human and Artificial Intel- www.geospatialworld.net | May-June 2020 34 TECHNOLOGY TRACK

• Cover