AI Inclusion Podcast, Episode 2: AI as the Inventor

In the second episode of the AI Inclusion Podcast titled ‘AI as the Inventor’, we  examine some of the issues of AI and intellectual property, particularly AI being recognised as the inventor. The UK High Court recently upheld an IPO decision to reject a patent application by an AI machine, because under the Patent Act 1977, ‘an inventor has to be a natural person, rather than a legal person’. This decision is consistent with the approach taken by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), but represents a new challenge for the development of AI systems and applications.

To support the use of AI technologies, businesses and individuals need to be able to realise commercial values from AI technologies. Are our IP regimes sufficiently robust to allow this and if not, what are the moral and ethical implications of changing our legal frameworks? This podcast will address 3 main questions:

1. Should patent law allow AI to be identified as the sole or joint inventor?
2. Is there a moral case for recognising AI as an inventor in a patent?
3. Who is liable when AI infringes a patent, particularly when this action could not have been predicted by a human?

Speakers in this episode include Lopa Patel MBE, Chair – Diversity UK (moderator); Rafie Faruq, Co-founder & CEO – Genie.AI; Dr Ros Lynch, Copyright and IP Enforcement Director – IPO and Gary Stewart, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder – The Nest.

About Diversity UK

To meet its objectives, Diversity UK has published the hugely popular Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech list; celebrated the Asians in Tech Pioneers; hosted Tech Showcases to celebrate the creativity and innovation of startup businesses founded by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) founders; created an informal platform for founders to hone their pitching skills, meet investors, network and learn from others in the sector. Diversity UK has also undertaken research, contributed to industry consultations, judging, debates and roundtables on funding, digital skills and AI.

About the Speakers

About Lopa Patel MBE, Chair – Diversity UK (moderator)

Lopa Patel is a digital entrepreneur with significant experience of creating start-ups and transforming businesses through technology. The founder of two ventures in online media and a data marketing consultancy, she is also the Chair of equality and inclusion charity Diversity UK; a Trustee of The Science Museum Group; a Non-Executive Director of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and a Council Member of The Open University.

With a lifelong love of science and technology, she is an evangelist for STEM, innovation and bridging the skills gap in business. She has been recognised with accolades including an MBE for services to the creative industries; the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion and an Honorary Doctorate by The Open University, in recognition of her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in science and technology.

Rafie Faruq, Co-founder & CEO – Genie.AI

Rafie Faruq is Co-founder and CEO at Genie AI, a research-led machine learning and NLP company based in London with a mission to democratise knowledge and give everyone access to the law. Genie AI has developed an artificial intelligence platform called SuperDrafter® that empowers lawyers to draft contracts using the entire knowledge of the firm. Its AI semantically understands legal contracts, enabling us to become the bridge towards smart contracts on the blockchain. The company also provides practical training through the use of AI. It has received £2 million in funding from Connect Ventures & UKRI.

Rafie holds a BSc in Politics & Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an MSc in Machine Learning from UCL and previously worked as a Bond Trader for Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Limited prior to joining the ninth cohort of the Entrepreneur First (EF)programme.

Ros Lynch, Copyright and IP Enforcement Director – IPO

Ros Lynch joined the IPO as Copyright and IP Enforcement Director in February 2014. As Director, Ros leads the work to shape the direction of policy and operational work in copyright and enforcement, ensuring that the UK legal framework is up-to-date and fit for purpose. The role also involves extensive international engagement both within and outside Europe. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Hull and is the co-author of the report ‘Copyright Works’ with Richard Hooper CBE which recommended measures aimed at streamlining copyright licensing in the digital age.

Gary Stewart, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder – The Nest

Gary Stewart is the CEO and Co-Founder of “The Nest”, a mobile app that levels the playing field for overlooked founders by providing access to education, social capital and funding. From 2014-2019, Gary was the Director of Wayra UK, a corporate accelerator backed by Telefonica (O2), where he invested in 185 start-ups that raised $265m and are valued at more than $1.1bn. From 2010-2014, Gary was an associate professor at entrepreneurship at IE Business School in Madrid. He launched his first start-up in 2005, which was a property search engine that raised $4m before eventually being acquired by a publicly listed company.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Gary worked as a lawyer in NY, London, Madrid and Barcelona. He graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Yale College and was the executive editor of The Yale Law Journal at Yale Law School. He is a Governor of the University of East London and has been twice on the Power List of the most influential black people in the UK. He is also on the advisory boards of OneTech, AccelerateYale and Included.VC.