Healthcare AI Startup Hyro Releases Free Coronavirus-Focused Virtual Assistant for Medical Providers
Healthcare AI developer Hyro released a free version of its virtual assistant focused on answering questions and sharing information about the COVID-19 coronavirus. Websites and apps can embed the AI, which can then interact by text and voice with users.
Questions of Health
Tel Aviv-based Hyro builds conversational AI assistants for healthcare providers already. The new version of its virtual assistant is built on the same platform, but with a specific focus on the coronavirus, and free. Tel Aviv-based Hyro builds conversational AI assistants for healthcare providers already. The new version of its virtual assistant is built on the same platform, but with a specific focus on the coronavirus, and free.
The AI uses a database compiled from the World Health Organization and other reliable sources of information to answer questions, with real-time updates. The AI parses what people ask and responds audibly and in text, asking follow up questions if needed to clarify. Based on the responses, the AI may recommend speaking to a doctor about getting tested for the coronavirus. According to Hyro, integrating the virtual assistant takes only a day or so, and it can be customized based on what the client is looking to get from the platform. Once installed, the AI will start compiling information about its performance and what people are asking.
“Our clients, partners and friends are in healthcare, which, regardless of department, is a sector that is completely overwhelmed at the moment; the least we can do is support them with what we have in our own arsenal, which is conversational AI,” Hyro CEO Israel Krush said in a statement. “That’s why we’ve made our COVID-19 assistant completely free, aimed at helping with containment and diagnosis. Automating some of these first-line digital touchpoints will hopefully relieve the burden on healthcare support centers and allow resources to be allocated where they’re needed most.”
Pandemic Response by AI
Accurate and useful information is crucial right now. That’s why both Alexa and Google Assistant removed all of the voice apps that touched on the coronavirus from their respective stores. But, Hyro joins a growing list of AI companies coming out with coronavirus-related tools for use by medical professionals and the public, often for free.
Orbita launched an interactive voice and text chatbot of its own this week for use by healthcare organizations that can educate the public and assist in triage. Medical enterprise platform Rx.Health created a different digital toolkit for hospitals with bundled services, including clinical voice assistant Suki to reduce paperwork and administrative tasks on healthcare providers. Meanwhile, Voca.ai, which doesn’t focus on healthcare, has started a pro bono project to collect samples of people’s voices with the goal of using the data to make a voice test for infection. Other products and projects are likely to proliferate as the pandemic continues, and people come up with innovative ways of using voice and AI technology to help.
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