Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing business line of the well-known retail giant, offers a number of services, including machine learning—which has been proving useful to researchers working to find ways to diagnose COVID-19 from x-rays and CT scans, according to Forbes.
In March, AWS announced its global Diagnostic Development Initiative, offering an initial $20 million in cloud credits and technical support to help accelerate research and development of coronavirus diagnostic tools. Instead of giving direct cash grants, the selected projects are getting a break on what they would normally have to pay AWS as a credit to their account. The tech support varies on a project basis, but includes access to AWS specialists. The program is supported by a technical advisory group of scientists and public health experts yet to be disclosed, except for Steve Davis, co-chair of the World Health Organization’s digital health technology advisory group. At launch, there were 35 global research institutions, startups and businesses involved in the project. AWS has since received more than 45 additional applications from customers, which are being evaluated.
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