Trendwatch AI & Automation: April 27, 2020

Venturebeat: AI Startups Raised $6.9 Billion in Q1 2020, a Record-setting Pace Before Coronavirus     

AI startups continued to outpace the overall U.S. venture capital market, but the coronavirus pandemic is expected to have a severe impact on funding across all sectors for the rest of the year.

BBC: AI Steps up in Battle Against Covid-19      

Can machine learning rise to this challenge of finding a cure for this terrible disease? There is no shortage of companies trying to solve the dilemma.

New York Times: Robots Welcome to Take Over, as Pandemic Accelerates Automation 

Broad unease about losing jobs to machines could dissipate as people focus on the benefits of minimizing close human contact.     

Fortune: These Robotic Warehouses Could Save Grocers—but First They Need to Survive COVID

Ocado built a buzzy business around helping supermarkets survive online. The COVID-19 crisis has become its trial by fire.       

CNBC: In Crisis, Some Start-ups Are Surging

And saying ‘no thanks’ to hungry investors