The Arrival of Artificial Intelligence in the Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases

Artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning, numerical optimization, and scalable computing, can play a key and innovative role in many areas of knowledge, including epidemiology, especially in infectious diseases. This is due to its potential to enable the accurate prediction of transmission patterns and the most effective measures to control outbreaks, ultimately promoting collective well-being. The objective is to highlight the advantages of using artificial intelligence to predict the epidemiological behavior of infectious diseases during epidemic outbreaks. This is a narrative review of high-quality scientific articles. Based on the analysis of the data found, the relevant aspects were categorized into the following sections: artificial intelligence in epidemic infectious diseases; disease propagation; modeling of mechanisms; detection of emerging and re-emerging pathogens; data collection and structuring; and information management for the community during epidemics, with the aim of facilitating reading and comprehension. It is concluded that artificial intelligence is a valuable ally in the fight against infectious diseases.