Existing intellectual property laws don't allow AI systems to be recognized as inventors, which threatens the integrity of the patent system and the potential to develop life-changing innovations. Current legislation only allows humans to be recognized as inventors, which could make AI-generated innovations unpatentable. This would deprive the owners of the AI of the legal protections they need for the inventions that their systems create. The Artificial Inventor Project team has been testing the limitations of these rules by filing patent applications that designate a machine as the inventor-- the first time that an AI's role as an inventor had ever been disclosed in a patent application. They made the applications on behalf of Dr Stephen Thaler, the creator of a system called DABUS, which was listed as the inventor of a food container that robots can easily grasp, and a flashing warning light designed to attract attention during emergencies.

One of the foundations of the bio revolution now underway is the knowledge base was built over 13 years as scientists mapped the human genome. However, the power of that map to fuel innovation only materialized when it became cheaper and quicker to sequence DNA because of advances in computing. Today, the cost of DNA sequencing is decreasing at a rate faster than Moore's Law. In 2003, mapping the genome cost about $3 billion; by 2016, that had dropped to less than $1,000 and could be less than $100 in less than a decade. Scientists sequenced the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 in weeks rather than the months it took to sequence the virus responsible for the original SARS epidemic.

Existing intellectual property laws don't allow AI systems to be recognized as inventors, which threatens the integrity of the patent system and the potential to develop life-changing innovations. Current legislation only allows humans to be recognized as inventors, which could make AI-generated innovations unpatentable. This would deprive the owners of the AI of the legal protections they need for the inventions that their systems create. The Artificial Inventor Project team has been testing the limitations of these rules by filing patent applications that designate a machine as the inventor-- the first time that an AI's role as an inventor had ever been disclosed in a patent application. They made the applications on behalf of Dr Stephen Thaler, the creator of a system called DABUS, which was listed as the inventor of a food container that robots can easily grasp and a flashing warning light designed to attract attention during emergencies.

Yesterday, Big Blue released its "IBM 5 in 5," an annual list of innovations that the company predicted will have major impacts on the way we live over the next five years. "With advances in artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, we aim to invent a new generation of scientific instruments that will make the complex invisible systems in our world today visible over the next five years," said Dario Gil, vice president of science and solutions at IBM Research, in a statement. One of the developments identified in the list is the use of deep learning machine intelligence to help clinicians predict and monitor brain and mental health disorders such as psychosis, schizophrenia, mania and depression. The company said its scientists are currently using transcripts and audio recordings of psychiatric interviews to find speech patterns that can indicate such disorders. In addition to giving health professionals unprecedented access to the human mind, artificial intelligence will also play a role in providing a larger window into the world around us.

IBM researchers revealed their five big predictions for innovations that will change our lives in the next five years. Dubbed IBM 5 in 5, the predictions were culled from more than 3,000 researchers across 12 labs on six continents. These predictions focus on the future of artificial intelligence and mental health, AI-based superhero vision, macroscopes that capture the Earth's complexity, medical labs on a chip, and smart sensors that will detect environmental pollution. Innovations in these areas could enable us to dramatically improve farming, enhance energy efficiency, spot harmful pollution before it's too late, and prevent premature physical and mental health decline. "The scientific community has a wonderful tradition of creating instruments to help us see the world in entirely new ways.