Ethereum founder, Vitalik Buterin has donated $4 million USD Coin (USDC) to the University of South Wales (UNSW) in the hopes of averting global pandemics effects. The donation is funded by Buterin’s Balvi Filantropic Fund and will go to UNSW’s open-source artificial intelligence platform, which aims to convey early warning signs for a pandemic.
Professor Raina MacIntyre has also established EPIWATCH, an open-source intelligence (OSINT) program, and Vitalik Buterin’s funding will help it evolve further.
The technology looks for early signs of epidemics by monitoring millions of publicly available web things, such as breaking news headlines and social networking platforms. It detects anomalies in ‘normal’ health-related data. This is significantly more efficient than waiting for doctors or laboratory results. The early concerns can then be properly investigated by health authorities.
“Imagine if someone had detected COVID-19 before it spread around the world, 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.” Prof. Maclntyre said.
“The earlier we can detect new epidemics as they come, the more quickly we can start developing treatments or even stop them before they become large. Open 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.” Prof. Maclntyre added.
The fund received from the Balvi Filantropic Fund is UNSW’s first crypto donation. It is also estimated to be the biggest crypto contribution ever made to an Australian university.
Ethereum’s founder is well-known for such charitable endeavors. He also donated $1 billion worth of Shiba Inu to an Indian Crypto Relief Fund that was aimed at aiding India’s COVID response. He has also lent his support to a number of organizations, including Ukrainian aid.