​New AI Tech Could Test for Cyanobacteria in Hours Instead of Days

Progress on new artificial intelligence (AI) technology could make monitoring at water treatment plants cheaper and easier and help safeguard public health, according to new research out of the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Researchers have developed AI software capable of identifying and quantifying different kinds of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, a threat to shut down water systems when it suddenly proliferates. “We need to protect our water supplies,” says Monica Emelko, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and member of the Water Institute at Waterloo. “This tool will arm us with a sentinel system, a more rapid indication when they