U.S. military funds AI tools to speed modeling of viral outbreaks: DARPA program could yield models of disease spread in days instead of weeks.

The article focuses on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program called Automating Scientific Knowledge Extraction and Modeling (ASKEM), which aims to enhance the speed and transparency of scientific modeling using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Launched in 2022 with a budget of $29.4 million, ASKEM has developed tools that allow researchers to build and update models more efficiently, significantly reducing the time required for model creation during public health emergencies. The program has demonstrated that its tools can produce models 83% faster than traditional methods, while also improving transparency and user interaction. The tools are available as open-source resources, with ongoing efforts to encourage adoption among scientists in various fields. [Extracted from the article]