A news summary based solely on the provided article body: AI is now helping researchers detect the earliest warning signs of disease outbreaks, though no system can predict exactly when a new virus will emerge. AI-powered surveillance tools, which existed before COVID-19 but were not as widely adopted, now analyse millions of data points from internet searches, news reports, flight routes, and climate data to identify unusual disease patterns before they spread widely. With another global health crisis considered a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if,’ organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) are increasingly using AI-based tools to strengthen outbreak detection and pandemic preparedness. AI cannot tell scientists the exact day or place where the next pandemic will begin, but it can detect unusual disease patterns much earlier than traditional surveillance systems by continuously scanning large amounts of information in real time. This allows health authorities to investigate potential outbreaks days or even weeks before conventional reporting systems catch up.