Summary:
- Researchers at Boston University have developed an open-source AI tool called "Sniffles" that can monitor social media and other online data sources to detect and track the spread of infectious diseases.
- The tool uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze online chatter and identify early signs of potential disease outbreaks, allowing public health officials to respond more quickly.
- Sniffles has been successfully used to detect and monitor the spread of COVID-19, and the researchers hope it can be used to track other infectious diseases in the future, helping to improve global health and disease prevention efforts.