CeADAR offers help to firms developing AI solutions for Covid-19

26 Mar 2020

CeADAR director Edward McDonnell. Image: CeADAR

CeADAR is offering help to businesses, government agencies and charities with any AI projects aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19.

CeADAR, the Centre for Applied Data Analytics Research in Dublin, is offering its expertise to help in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The centre said its scientists and researchers, who have knowledge and skills in AI and machine learning, are available to help companies, government agencies, medical centres and charities to develop solutions during the crisis.

CeADAR director Edward McDonnell said the centre has already been exploring options to work with companies to develop AI tools since the outbreak of the coronavirus. These include solutions to detect the virus and track the compliance of the general public.

‘We are here and willing to help’

These projects are still in the exploratory stage, but CeADAR is now calling on other bodies to contact the centre (by emailing cv19@ceadar.ie) if they need assistance or have large data sets that could be shared to help develop solutions. CeADAR is also willing to help out in situations where companies don’t have the capacity or expertise in applying machine learning to undertake projects.

McDonnell said: “We want to help make a contribution to improve people’s lives and help reduce the spread of the virus. We are already in talks with a number of companies in relation to some projects and want to let others know that we are here and willing to help in the fight.

“We will divert our researchers and scientists away from other projects in order to ensure that we all work towards a solution. We know that a lot of companies are doing great work trying to find solutions but are overwhelmed by the workload and we want to help them.”

As a research centre, CeADAR’s primary focus is on delivering industry prototypes and technology demonstrators to business and industry in Ireland. Funded by Enterprise Ireland and IDA, CeADAR has more than 90 member companies across a wide span of industries.

Kelly Earley was a journalist with Silicon Republic

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