Google uses AI to create an 'army' of 32 million male mosquitoes to combat the epidemic.

Google is pursuing an artificial intelligence (AI) project aimed at controlling mosquito populations and reducing the risk of disease spread in the United States. The project, called Project Debug, has been proposed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is awaiting approval.

If approved, Google would release 32 million male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia pipientis bacteria in California and Florida over the next two years. According to filings submitted to the EPA, 16 million would be released in the first year and the remainder in the following year.

The unique aspect of Project Debug is its use of AI and specialized robotic systems to breed, sort, and release mosquitoes. A computer vision system developed by Google automatically identifies male and female mosquitoes, ensuring that only male mosquitoes are released into the environment.

AI identifies and categorizes male mosquitoes needed for Google's campaign. (Illustrative image: AI)

According to Project Debug, the goal of the campaign is to increase the number of male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia bacteria – a naturally occurring bacterium. When they mate with female mosquitoes in the wild, they will not produce new offspring, causing the mosquito population to gradually decline over time.

Google emphasizes that this method does not use chemicals, toxins, or genetically modified technology. Furthermore, male mosquitoes do not suck blood and do not transmit diseases to humans.

On its website, Project Debug describes mosquitoes as "the most dangerous animal on the planet," particularly Aedes aegypti – the vector for diseases such as dengue fever, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya, which infect hundreds of millions of people each year.

However, in California and Florida, this program will focus on Culex quinquefasciatus, which is known to be a host for West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S., with more than 1,300 cases each year.

Project Debug was previously implemented in Singapore. A study published in The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific showed that after the release of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes began in 2016, the number of dengue cases in the island nation dropped to its lowest level in 2018.

The EPA is currently soliciting public comments on Google's proposal until June 5th before making a final decision.

(Source: Guessing Headlights)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/google-dung-ai-tao-doi-quan-32-trieu-con-muoi-duc-chong-dich-ar1021559.html