British court disagrees with Australia, rules that AIs cannot be patent inventors

The UK and Australia may have made a historic pact last week, but one thing they can't agree on is whether AIs can be patent inventors. AIs are increasingly being used to come up with new ideas and there's an argument they should therefore be listed as the inventor by patent agencies. However, opponents say that patents are a statutory right and can only be granted to a person. US-based Dr Stephen Thaler, the founder of Imagination Engines, has been leading the fight to give credit to machines for their creations. Dr Thaler's AI device, DABUS, consists of neural networks and was used to invent an emergency warning light, a food container that improves grip and heat transfer, and more.