Bloomberg Government: Pentagon Taps Rescue Funds to Use AI for Virus Care, Vaccine
“The Defense Department is seeking to adapt artificial intelligence technology it uses to track down terrorists with drones or predict when aircraft need maintenance for a new purpose: screening and testing novel coronavirus treatments and vaccines. The Pentagon plans to boost existing programs with money Congress provided under the virus-relief CARES Act for the ‘development of artificial intelligence-based models to rapidly screen, prioritize, and test Food and Drug Administration approved therapeutics for new COVID-19 drug candidates.’ The AI funds would also be tapped for human test trials for vaccines and antibody based treatments, according to the spending plan the department submitted to congressional panels…” (Tiron/Capaccio, 6/1).

Homeland Preparedness News: Bipartisan bill would help better detect, contain overseas pandemics
“U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) last week introduced legislation designed to better detect and contain infectious disease outbreaks overseas before they become global pandemics. The Global Health Security and Diplomacy Act (GHSDA) requires the president to advance a comprehensive Global Health Security Strategy with clear goals, objectives, and lines of responsibility to better guide U.S. investments in global health security. Further, it establishes a coordinator for global health security and diplomacy at the Department of State to manage program coordination. Also, it encourages the president to appoint a senior director for global health security to the National Security Council to coordinate the interagency process…” (Kovaleski, 6/1).

Security Magazine: U.S. Senators Introduce Global Health Bill to Prevent Future Pandemics
“…Key provisions of the senators’ legislation include: Enhancing strategic planning … Strengthening interagency coordination and diplomatic engagement … Promoting transparency, accountability, and long-term results … Strengthening USAID’s emergency response capacity … Joining global efforts to find vaccines for epidemic diseases … Creating opportunities for innovation and burden-sharing…” (6/1).