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India bets on AI tech to curb coronavirus infections, amid privacy fears
- In India, dozens of data-driven solutions have emerged to track people’s movements, check temperatures and enforce social distancing, sparking privacy concerns
- Among these are a thermal camera that can track a person even while masked, and a device that can tell where someone sleeps
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From a tracker that can tell where someone sleeps at night, to a device detecting whether they have a mask on or not, India’s government is betting on hi-tech solutions to fight Covid-19, despite growing privacy concerns.
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More than 8.5 million people in India have been infected by the virus, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s tracker, making it the worst-affected country after the United States.
Officials have called on local firms to develop technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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“The world is getting back on its feet and a new sense of normal is coming back. Now is the time to put these solutions in place so people feel safe,” said Akshata Kari, co-founder of Pixuate, an AI-based video analytics firm in tech hub Bangalore.
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Indian hospital installs robot to help Covid-19 patients connect with family
Indian hospital installs robot to help Covid-19 patients connect with family
Pixuate was one of six companies selected in May by the government’s Technology Development Board (TDB) to develop “a low-cost solution to identify persons with abnormal body temperature in a crowd” and alert authorities.
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