- Healthcare and Tech Converge Further – We will continue to see the convergence of technology with health care resulting in the proliferation of digital health. Telemedicine, wearables, and remote surgery
The Impact of Technology: AI Advancements for Mental Health and Wellness
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology are impacting mental health and wellness with tools that are right at the user’s fingertips. Innovators are developing new ways to bring these technologies
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5 Trends to Watch in 2021: Emerging Technologies
Chinh H. Pham and Brian J. Assessor co-authored an article titled “5 Trends to Watch in 2021: Emerging Technologies.” Trends include digital health, agribusiness, batteries, data and privacy, and artificial
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Could Star Trek’s DATA Be a Patent Inventor?
Most of us know that DATA, the beloved android from Star Trek, The Next Generation, is an artificial intelligence (AI) life form from the distant future with a high capacity to problem solve and innovate. But, if DATA were present today and invented a new technology, could he be an inventor on a patent for his invention?
The question of whether AI can legally be an inventor on a patent was recently addressed by the European Patent Office (EPO) and The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). The same question is still being evaluated by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) along with solicitation for comments to the patent community.
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Forget About Fake News, How About Fake People? California Starts Regulating Bots as of July 1, 2019
California SB 1001, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17940, et seq., takes effect July 1, 2019. The law regulates the online use of “bots” – computer programs that
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Rise of the Machines: DATA vs. the Borg Collective
At the most recent SXSW, Hanson Robotics, based in Plano, TX, debuted its latest personal robot – Sophia. With lifelike skin that is made from patented silicon, Sophia can emulate more than 62 facial expressions. Cameras inside her “eyes,” sophisticated computer algorithms, and a combination of voice recognition technology and other tools enable Sophia to “see” and “think.” Sophia is just the latest example of major advances in the development of machines striving to attain human “characteristics,” “intelligence,” and “awareness”.
Creepy? Maybe. Predestined? Definitely.
Life Imitating Fiction
Arguably, the notion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Cognitive Computing has been around since Frankenstein was published in 1818. For example, consider the Star Trek series, especially The Next Generation, where AI is prevalent. The android DATA was imparted with human-level intelligence and expertise by his creator, Dr. Soong. Albeit fictional, DATA is an example of a machine achieving human-level awareness. Conversely, Seven of Nine (or more specifically the Borg/Borg Collective) is essentially a human or humanoid that has been assimilated and made more machine-like, striving for efficiency and perfection of a machine. The Borg individual is given artificial limbs, eyes, and other body parts, as well as implants (for example, brain implants), so that each Borg individual can communicate with the Collective and the Borg Queen.
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