Kira Radinsky [Resources Tools]

Abstract

Kira Radinsky is a rising star in predictive analytics. She combines the use of artificial intelligence and online data mining to predict likely futures for individuals, societies, and businesses. Radinsky made headlines two years ago for developing a series of algorithms that dissect words and phrases in traditional and social media, Web activity, and search trends to warn of possible disasters, geopolitical events, and disease outbreaks. Her system predicted Cuba's first cholera epidemic in decades and early Arab Spring riots. • The algorithm-which grew out of Radinsky's Ph.D. work at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa-looks for clues and historical patterns inferred from online behavior and news articles. During an event, people search [for related topics] much more than usual, she says. The system looks for other times we saw a spike in that same topic and analyzes what was going on in the places that had this same spike.