The first few months of 2020 have profoundly changed the way we live our lives and carry out our daily activities. Although the widespread use of futuristic robotaxis and self-driving commercial vehicles has not yet become a reality, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in different fields. We have witnessed the equivalent of two years of digital transformation compressed into just a few months. Whether it is in tracing epidemiological peaks or in transacting contactless payments, the impact of these developments has been almost immediate, and a window has opened up on what is to come. Here we analyze and discuss how AI can support us in facing the ongoing pandemic. Despite the numerous and undeniable contributions of AI, clinical trials and human skills are still required. Even if different strategies have been developed in different states worldwide, the fight against the pandemic seems to have found everywhere a valuable ally in AI, a global and open-source tool capable of providing assistance in this health emergency. A careful AI application would enable us to operate within this complex scenario involving healthcare, society and research.

2020 年的头几个月深刻地改变了我们的生活方式和日常活动。尽管未来机器人出租车和自动驾驶商用车的广泛使用尚未成为现实，但 COVID-19 大流行极大地加速了人工智能 (AI) 在不同领域的采用。我们见证了相当于两年的数字化转型被压缩为短短几个月。无论是追踪流行病学高峰还是非接触式支付交易，这些发展的影响几乎是立竿见影的，并且为即将发生的事情打开了一个窗口。在这里，我们分析和讨论人工智能如何支持我们应对持续的大流行。尽管人工智能做出了众多不可否认的贡献，但仍然需要临床试验和人类技能。即使世界各地不同的国家制定了不同的策略，但抗击这一流行病的斗争似乎到处都发现了人工智能的宝贵盟友，人工智能是一种能够在这一卫生紧急情况下提供援助的全球开源工具。仔细的人工智能应用将使我们能够在涉及医疗保健、社会和研究的复杂场景中运作。