AI Can Detect COVID-19 by Listening to Your Coughs

Engadget is reporting that MIT researchers have developed artificial intelligence (AI) that can recognize forced coughing from people who have the coronavirus, even if they are otherwise asymptomatic. The breakthrough came in the development of a slew of neural networks that can distinguish subtle changes indicative of COVID-19's effects. One neural network detects sounds associated with vocal strength, while a second listens for emotional states that reflect a neurological decline. Another network, meanwhile, gauges changes in respiratory performance. Additionally, an algorithm has been developed that checks for muscular degradation — i.e., weaker coughs — and it provides a more complete picture of someone's health. The AI has been highly accurate in initial tests, recognizing 98.5 percent of coughs from people with confirmed COVID-19 cases. It also identified 100 percent of people who were ostensibly asymptomatic. However, researchers note that the technology is not meant to diagnose symptomatic people, as they might have other conditions that produce similar behavior.