Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform many aspects of life and the UK government has recognized that it is important to review IP laws to ensure that they evolve and promote innovation in this fast-paced area of technology. That was the motivation behind a recent UKIPO consultation which reported earlier this week. With regards to patent protection for AI-devised inventions, the report concluded that no changes are required to UK patent law, at least for the time being. At present, despite claims of certain parties and the international court case relating to the DABUS system which its promotors sought to name as the inventor on patent applications in a number of countries, there is no evidence of AI currently having the capacity to invent. Rather, the general consensus from respondents was that AI technology cannot, at least at present, invent without human assistance.

Artificial intelligence poses new questions for intellectual property (IP) law. Can machines be inventors for purposes of patent law? Is new legislation required to govern AI creativity? Courts, IP offices, and legislators in multiple jurisdictions are considering these questions. By now, there is a well-developed and comprehensive academic literature which analyses the interface between IP and AI. And while there will always be room for further analysis of such questions as technology progresses, there is diminishing marginal returns to such inquiries at this point in time.

New technologies have always thrown up new questions about Intellectual Property. Whether that's the printing press revolution, the invention of recorded music, or the advent of the internet. Artificial Intelligence is no different. Over the past ten years AI technologies have accelerated. I've seen for myself the incredible impact they're having across a huge range of sectors – from medicine to manufacturing.

IABM report: "Change is everywhere" The increasingly crowded and competitive media and broadcasting industry is consolidating and searching for scale to compete with firms adopting new technology to support its transformation, an IABM report finds. Leading the industry transformation is the demand for new technology to support efficient workflows, manage content distribution, enhance the user experiences and support revenue growth. "Change is everywhere," according to the latest strategic industry analysis, the IABM Special Report which examined the major trends in the broadcast and media industry ahead of its presentation during IBC2019. With the escalation of OTT streaming services and the continued influx of money invested into video content, traditional media companies are consolidating and forming alliances to remain competitive. The report outlines: "This increasingly competitive and complex environment is forcing media companies to search for digital speed to attract eyeballs to their services. "This is leading to a rapid transformation of demand for media technology, which is sending shockwaves throughout the supply-side of the industry." Based on hard data obtained and analysed by the IABM's Business Intelligence Unit, the report was backed by quantitative and qualitative information and commentary from key players across broadcast and media industry. The report found the technology adoption of cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and IP have continued to increase. "By deploying cloud-based services, media companies can dramatically reduce time-to-market for their services – thus increasing revenues - and flexibly adjust resources by moving to consumption-based pricing." Global media firms including Discovery have moved portions of their operations to the cloud, however smaller media organisations remain less likely to do so. According to the data: "AI applications in the broadcast and media industry are growing and adoption has significantly increased in recent years.