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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has donated $4 million worth of USD Coin (USDC) to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to support the development of a pandemic detection tool.<\/p>\n
The capital, which equates to roughly $5.3 million Aussie dollars, is part of Buterin\u2019s self-described \u201cmoonshot anti-COVID effort\u201d dubbed Balvi Filantropic Fund<\/em> in partnership with the Shiba Inu memecoin project<\/a> (SHIB) and Crypto Relief. <\/p>\n The funds will further support the development of the OISNT-based EPIWATCH tool which utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and open-source data to create early pandemic warning signs. <\/p>\n Created by Kirby Institute Professor and Biosecurity Research head Raina MacIntyre the tool scans millions of items of publicly available online data, including social media and news reports to detect any changes that could suggest increasing health concerns.<\/p>\n Buterin emphasized the importance of sharing data in a decentralized and open manner<\/a> to speed up pandemic detection: <\/p>\n \u201cOpen analysis of public data is an excellent alternative to more intrusive forms of monitoring, which are also often only available to governments and other high bidders but closed to the public.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cBy contrast, an open-source and open-access approach that allows researchers, including members of the public, to work collaboratively across the world can be more easily improved and scaled to detect new pandemics wherever they begin,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The funding will be allocated to the freshly named Shiba Inu Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Initiative led by UNSW\u2019s Kirby Institute. <\/p>\n #Ethereum<\/a> co-founder @VitalikButerin<\/a> has gifted UNSW $5.3 million in #cryptocurrency<\/a> to support the development of a #pandemic<\/a> detection tool designed by @KirbyInstitute<\/a>‘s Prof Raina MacIntyre.https:\/\/t.co\/aYYhI1iQwR<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Gy0l1xejel<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kirby Institute, UNSW (@KirbyInstitute) May 12, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Professor MacIntyre said the idea was to make the tool accessible at a \u201cgrassroots\u201d level and make sure it covers enough languages to reach \u201cvillages and small towns around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cImagine if someone had detected COVID-19 before it spread around the world \u2014 that is our vision. Using AI and real-time open-source data, EPIWATCH does not depend on people making reports. It is a great equalizer and can overcome weak health systems and censorship.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Earlier this month, the Balvi Balvi Filantropic Fund announced its first round of financial support for various projects and organizations that are building COVID and pandemic prevention technology.<\/p>\n Related: <\/em><\/strong>Buterin: L2 transaction fees need to be under $0.05 to be \u2018truly acceptable\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n There were four recipients in total for the first round, including the open-source vaccine development RADVACproject, the Upper Room UVGI Project working on UV lamps that \u201czap viruses to death\u201d, Active IAQ\u2019s air filter initiative and Patient-Led\u2019s long COVID symptom research.<\/p>\n The future of bio-defense is decentralized, open, collaborative, and actually doesn’t require infringing on millions of people’s livelihood and freedom. But it does require dedicated smart people to be supported in their hard work on making these tech solutions happen.<\/p>\n \u2014 vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) May 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n
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