- In April 2025, the AI-powered BEACON platform was launched by Boston University's Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, in partnership with the Hariri Institute for Computing and Data Sciences and HealthMap at Boston Children's Hospital. This open-source global surveillance platform leverages advanced AI and large language models (LLMs) to rapidly collect, analyze, and disseminate information on emerging infectious diseases, including influenza, for early public health response
- In March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) published updated guidance on implementing an integrated surveillance system for influenza and other respiratory viruses. This initiative aims to expand the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) to include other viruses with epidemic or pandemic potential, highlighting the increasing need for comprehensive and robust data collection, which AI can significantly enhance
- In February 2025, an article in StateTech Magazine highlighted how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been using AI to track infectious diseases, including COVID-19 since 2023, and emphasized AI's role in predicting flu outbreaks and aiding vaccine development. This highlights a strategic partnership between government agencies and technological advancements to enhance public health capabilities, facilitating more efficient and secure disease management
- In September 2021, Hitachi has developed an influenza forecasting service that uses AI (machine learning) to produce four-weeks-ahead forecasts of the number of influenza sufferers in each region of Japan and publishes the results as an index indicating the degree of prevalence
- In March 2021, University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have invented a portable surveillance device powered by machine learning – called FluSense – which can detect coughing and crowd size in real time, then analyze the data to directly monitor flu-such as illnesses and influenza trends
