Artificial Intelligence Has Its Day(s) in Court

Principal Analyst, Advanced Analytics

Summary Bullets:

• In 1950, mathematician Alan Turing published “Computing Machinery and Intelligence.” The document outlines the possibility of intelligent machines that could think and eventually attain consciousness.

• Turing’s paper has generated a debate that is ongoing and is at the heart of current litigation that will likely be decided by the US Supreme Court.

In July 2019, Stephen Thaler, CEO of Imagination Engines Incorporated (IEI), filed two patent applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), listing an artificial intelligence (AI) program as the inventor on both applications. The IEI’s AI system is known as the Device for the Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience (DABUS). According to IEI’s patent applications, DABUS invented a flickering light that mimics neural activity and a fractal drink container that allows robots to improve its grip. Not surprisingly, IEI’s website states that the company is “ushering in the dawn of conscious computing” and lists several high-profile companies such as General Electric, Boeing, and Raytheon as well as branches of the US Defense Depart.

Optelos Brings AI and Digital Twinning to the Sky

Principal Analyst, Advanced Analytics

Summary Bullets:

• Businesses depend on infrastructure to deliver energy, communications, and related services. Regular inspections of infrastructure are critical to maintaining a consistent supply.

• Optelos software utilizes the drone camera, providing actionable insights for the inspection of infrastructure such as damaged insulators in the electrical grid.

Asset inspections represent a significant cost for companies involved in industrial processes. According to GE Capital, on a worldwide basis, companies and governments spend $40 billion per year on asset inspections. Historically, inspecting and auditing infrastructure involves placing employees in dangerous places such as chemical refineries or underground ventilation shafts. Utilizing drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) removes the injury risk to employees who no longer need to be exposed to site-specific dangers. This reduces the likelihood of serious injury to workers still using traditional inspection methods that require the inspection team to be physically present.