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Analysis and AI during health crises: whose job is it anyway?

Professor Adam Kucharski, Professor of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Date: Tuesday 29 September – 11:00-12:00

Venue: Physics building, Enderby room

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Faced with an emerging threat, there is an urgent need to understand what is happening and what might be done about it. Quantitative researchers and analysts across government, academia, media and industry have made crucial contributions to these questions in the past. However, often the delineation of roles and responsibilities has been unclear. Who should perform which analysis tasks and when?  

From epidemiological estimates to public communication of evidence, such ambiguity risks duplicated work or unaddressed gaps. The rise of generative AI and the democratisation of certain analysis tasks is further blurring who is responsible for innovation and infrastructure across different teams. 

Drawing on examples from recent health emergencies, and experiences as an academic researcher, policy advisor, science communicator and AI start-up founder, I will discuss some of the key challenges and opportunities for more effective operational insights.

Bio:

Adam Kucharski is a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, where his research explores emerging health threats, epidemics, human behaviour, and the use of data to understand uncertainty. He has advised governments and public health agencies, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was founding co-director of the Centre for Epidemic Preparedness and Response. He is also co-founder and CTO of WholeSum and an award-winning science writer, author of The Rules of Contagion and Proof.