Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has gifted $5.3 million worth of cryptocurrency to UNSW to support the progress of an open source artificial intelligence (OSINT) tool providing early warning signs of a pandemic.

The funds will be used to establish the Shiba Inu OSINT initiative, funded by Buterin’s Balvi Philanthropic Fund and led by UNSW’s Kirby Institute, which will oversee the development of EPIWATCH and its deployment in low- and middle-income countries.

EPIWATCH, developed by Professor Raine MacIntyre of the UNSW Kirby Institute, uses open source data and uses artificial intelligence to create early warnings.

It works by scanning millions of items of publicly available online data, such as social media and news reports, for early signals of outbreaks.

According to UNSW, because of its ability to scan huge amounts of data in real time, the tool can detect developments much faster than official reporting protocols through doctors and laboratories.

"Imagine if someone had discovered COVID-19 before it spread around the world - that's our vision," said Prof. McIntyre.

“Using AI and real-time open source data, EPIWATCH does not depend on humans making reports. It is a great equalizer and can overcome weak health systems and censorship.”

Prof. MacIntyre emphasized the importance of making EPIWATCH accessible to low- and middle-income countries.

"To be most effective, it must be available in local languages ​​and widely used from the grassroots to the villages and small towns of the world." This will give us the best prospect for preventing pandemics," said Prof. McIntyre.

The gift from the Balvi Philanthropic Fund is the first crypto gift to UNSW and is believed to be the largest crypto gift accepted by an Australian higher education institution.

Commenting on his latest venture, Mr Buterin said: "Open analysis of public data is an excellent alternative to more intrusive forms of surveillance, which are also often only available to governments and other actors at high cost, but closed to the public."

"In contrast, an open-source, open-access approach that allows researchers, including members of the public, to work collaboratively around the world can be more easily improved and scaled to detect new pandemics wherever they start .”

The hope is that the Shiba Inu OSINT initiative can prevent future global crises such as pandemics.

Maja Garatsa Djurdjevic

Maya's career in journalism spans more than a decade in finance, business and politics. Already an experienced editor and reporter in all elements of the financial services sector, before joining Momentum Media, Maya reported for several established news outlets in South East Europe, looking at key processes in post-conflict societies.