ISDE Artificial intelligence may be the hot, new, sexy term, but the subset of AI that has the most potential for improving the discovery of new antimicrobials, outbreak surveillance, diagnostic testing and other facets of managing infectious diseases is machine learning—teaching computers how to learn from and interpret large data sets.
AI is “the ability of computers to perform tasks that normally require humans,” explained Jonathan Stokes, PhD, a microbiologist and an assistant professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario.
With machine learning (ML), the computer system “learns” from experience so it can undertake tasks without explicit instructions. Dr. Stokes, who is using ML to discover potential new antibiotics, said these software programs can improve surveillance and spot outbreaks earlier, help a microbiologist identify an unusual parasite, or help in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).