An academic at the University of Hong Kong claims that blockchain and AI-driven strategies should be implemented to better tackle responses to the coronavirus epidemic.

Syren Johnstone —  executive manager of the master in laws (compliance and regulation) plan at the University of Hong Kong — published a post for the Oxford University Faculty of Police force Department web log on February. 5 arguing that the coronavirus outbreak should be seen as a "call to arms for the tech manufacture."

Blockchain, AI and the market

Johnstone'due south statement opens with the claim that charities are currently hindered in their ability to channel donations effectively for crisis response due to Beijing's institutional and political choices.

The Chinese authorities is currently funnelling all public donations through five government-backed charity organizations — an approach he argues represents "a throwback to pre-2016 China," before the country established a law enabling the creation of private sector charities. He continues:

"The funnelling order implicitly assumes that the five government-backed charities are fit for purpose and improve able to manage the current crisis. That assumption may be at odds with historical and more contempo evidence suggesting organizations responsible for responding to crises appear to struggle to manage their core responsibilities."

He says that Beijing'southward centralizing approach is merely compounding the trouble and that instead of a government-led approach, the tech industry should provide a solution. Specifically, information technology should leverage blockchain and AI technology, which are already in widespread use by Alibaba, SF Express and Apple —- so "why not charities?"

Blockchain would enable the transparent recording and tracking of all donations — whether it be greenbacks or face masks —  and brand it possible to hold persons or entities to account at whatever point in the procedure, through to final stop-apply. Mismanagement, Johnstone says, would be reduced with greater public visibility and we could increase public trust in the system by ensuring donors have more oversight and command over their contributions.

Jonhstone invokes President Xi Jinping's own endorsement of blockchain technology in support of his statement, farther stating that tech firms globally should piece of work with China's industry, as AI in detail demonstrates "the desirability of a cooperative landscape."

He concludes that the solution to coronavirus should describe upon the Chinese government's own principle, established in 2022, that:

"The market should be immune to play a decisive function in the resource allotment of resources. Public-private and mixed ownership reforms in China testify to the reality that centrally controlled organisations [...]  take not developed management systems or innovated solutions to problems at anything like the pace that private enterprise has."

Blockchain charity initiatives

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance unveiled its blockchain-based charity donation platform back in 2022, which has been used for assist relief to victims of the floods and landslides in Eastern Uganda and for a entrada in support of terminally ill patients and disadvantaged children in Malta and Gozo, and recently, a relief effort for the bushfires in Australia.

The Red Cross has for its part made use of a blockchain-based currency scheme to enhance aid delivery and heave local economies.