The Department of Defense (DoD) plans to use funds allocated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to develop artificial intelligence-based models to accelerate screening and testing of vaccines, antibody-based treatments and other drug candidates for COVID-19, Bloomberg Government reported Monday.
The Pentagon plans to shift $3.8 billion in funds for the Defense Health Program to its research and development accounts to support the AI initiative, according to the department’s spending plan for $10.5 billion in emergency funds under the CARES Act.
The congressional report also outlined how DoD plans to spend $688 million to address the economic impacts of COVID-19 on the defense industrial base, including shipbuilding, aircraft propulsion, microelectronics and space launch.
