Anthony Fauci on Australia’s COVID response, AI and the next pandemic

The man who became the face of the coronavirus response in the United States says Australia’s willingness to accept science and resist conspiracy theories will help the country stave off future pandemics, but is concerned growing animosity and threats towards scientists will stifle the next generation of experts inspired by the events of the past three years.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Dr Anthony Fauci also said the responsible use of artificial intelligence would help scientists anticipate future variants of COVID-19 and predict other problem diseases before they reach pandemic level.

Anthony Fauci has taken up a university teaching role and is writing his memoir after retiring from his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Credit: Washington Post

“Obviously, there are books now being written about the dangers of artificial intelligence,” he said. “But I think if you look at it under a controlled situation, there are many, many advantages for artificial intelligence in every aspect of medicine and health, from reading X-rays to skin biopsies to … responding to the next pandemic.”

Fauci retired from public service in December after spending 54 years with the National Institutes of Health and 38 years as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

But retirement has not slowed down Fauci. The 82-year-old has taken on a teaching role at Georgetown University, is writing his memoirs due in November, and this week appeared at the International Aids Society conference in Brisbane.

As the public health face of America’s pandemic response, Fauci was often called upon in real-time to diplomatically correct false claims made by then-president Donald Trump on hydroxychloroquine, progress toward vaccines and the comparative dangers of coronavirus and the flu.

Then-president Donald Trump watches as Fauci speaks at a coronavirus press conference in April 2020. Credit: AP

Medical school applications jumped 18 per cent in 2020, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, in a phenomenon some in the US dubbed the “Fauci effect”. But Fauci himself said the death threats he and other scientists received as the pandemic progressed had somewhat soured the excitement of pursuing a career in medicine and public health.

“I think there’s still that feeling, but … there has been a phenomenal degree of political divisiveness, which spilled over into how we looked and acted towards the pandemic,” he said. “Students and young people who were enthusiastic about getting involved in science and public service see that scientists are being threatened, they’re being harassed, and they’re being disrespected.”

The hostility towards scientists that hampered America’s coronavirus response was not as prevalent in Australia, Fauci said, but warned the politics of divisiveness would always appeal to the minority who were sceptical of the science.

“Those who promote falsehoods and disinformation can always find some outlier of a scientist or some outlier of a public health person to get up in front of a hearing or in front of the television and say something that’s absolutely not true.”

‘We’ve lost already, and counting, 1.13 million people [in America] ... that’s a lesson we can’t forget.’

Dr Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

He said Australian scientists, including renowned virologist Professor Eddie Holmes and the Doherty Institute’s Professor Sharon Lewin, had contributed “enormously” to international efforts to fight the coronavirus and other infectious diseases including HIV.

“[Australia] has some of the best science that’s around, for a country with a relatively small population,” he said. “Ever since I was a student, I was always impressed by some of the original scientists, Peter Doherty and people like that, that have always been leaders in the field. And I think that Australian tradition continues.”

In a Journal of Infectious Diseases article, yet to be published, Fauci outlines 10 lessons from COVID-19 for pandemic preparedness.

“The scientific approach, the preparation, with new platform technologies, and new imaging design was a resounding success story,” he said. “Our public health response, not so much.”

History has taught us, Fauci said, that the collective memory of events such as pandemics fades over time, and he remains sceptical that the public and policymakers will take the appropriate lessons from COVID-19.

“We’ve lost already, and counting, 1.13 million people [in America] and the world, although it’s reported to have lost only 7 million people, it’s more likely closer to 20 million people,” he said. “That’s a lesson we can’t forget.”

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