A top tech expert says there's "a bunch of really great work" happening as different sectors collaborate amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Kevin Scott, chief technology officer and executive vice president of Microsoft, said tech companies, public health professionals, medical professionals, and scientists are now working together.
"The fortunate thing is that many of our tech platforms that we have invested a ton in collectively as an industry over the past several years are especially useful right now as we need to do more and deeper data analytics to understand the progression of the disease," Scott told Cheddar Tuesday.
The intersection of artificial intelligence and biosciences is especially promising, he added, as companies scramble to come up with potential therapies and vaccines for COVID-19.
One example Scott cited is the use of molecular simulations using AI technology to determine potential compounds for treatments that would be safe to progress into human trials.
On Tuesday, the Microsoft executive also released a new book, "Reprogramming the American Dream: From Rural America to Silicon Valley - Making AI Serve Us All," that investigates preconceived notions about AI.
In part of the book, Scott visits his rural hometown for some perspective on the spread of technology in the U.S.
He said he had an "ah-ha moment" when he realized that people in those communities were already using technology to run their businesses in a relatively sophisticated manner.
