INN010: Claude Projects | AI medical improvements | State of AI | Social Robots | BCI | Summer Reading list

Hello Innovatorians!

This is the first of our 2 Summer Editions of our Newsletter. Patrick is going on holiday soon, so it’ll be just you and me for some sexysmexy time! (it’s ok to feel a little awkward now, we’re all about going out of comfort zones :P)

But for this edition, Pat did all the heavy lifting, and of course Ricardo has been perfecting the use of our “aragornGPT” to write stuff with our special sauce!

Don’t worry though, all the thoughts and ideas are our own!

So what we got for you this time?

Let’s talk about the idea that it’s ok to not innovate, often championed with the example of BIC pencils. Personally I think everything is relative… what’s your timeline?

Moving on we’ll discuss massive progress in medicine. Like we’ve said many times, by the end of the decade most disease, stuff like cancer, parkinsons, alzheimers, will be cured…  Crazy right? But let’s look at the facts. But not just physical ailments, what about mental health? Have you ever been lonely? Elderly people mostly are, its an epidemic, but AI is here to save the day…

About AI. Is it overrated? You’ll be forgiven if you think so… most professionals do, according to this report.

What about the next evolution in User Interfacing? Is it really spatial? Or is it MINDCONTROL! We have some news on BCIs (brain computer interface… duhhh) for you.

Finishing up with some great news for renewable energy!

That’s it for this week. Hope you enjoy it, don’t forget to like and share! And go check out our X for all the super spicy stuff!

Patrick, Ricardo & Aragorn

Innovation vs. Tradition: The Bic Pencil Case

Ever feel like innovation is all the rage? Yet, sometimes, the oldies but goodies still hold their ground. Case in point: Bic Pencils. A viral post showed Bic Pencils unchanged from 1950 to 2024. Same product, different years. Why? Because they nailed it right the first time. But there's more to this story.

Here's the kicker: I used ChatGPT-4 and Claude 3.5 to dig up and visualize this data. And guess what? Claude nailed it. No code errors, just smooth sailing.

Enter Claude.ai Projects! Now available to Pro and Team users, this feature allows you to organize chats and knowledge, all in one place, turning your insights into action by giving you the ability to easily create documents and designs and even code!

Want to elevate your work and collaborate with Claude? Stay ahead or stay behind – the choice is yours.

Shattering Boundaries in Medical Innovation

Brace yourself, the future of medicine is here, and it's mind-blowing. Picture this: a DNA editor surpassing CRISPR.

Yep, you heard right! This new tech is set to revolutionize how we tackle genetic disorders, boasting the ability to correct 89% of non-pathogenic human genetic variants like sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs and enhance cancer therapies by modifying immune cells, and treat various genetic disorders. That’s just staggering.

And it doesn't stop there. Combine CRISPR with AI, and you get a powerhouse duo capable of sequencing and creating DNA like a sci-fi dream come true. Neil deGrasse Tyson himself believes we'll conquer most diseases within 15 years thanks to these advancements. Even the skeptics are coming around.

Take osteoporosis, for example. Traditionally diagnosed with costly X-rays, now AI models predict it more accurately, cheaper, and faster. Prime editing's precision and versatility hold the promise to revolutionize medicine.

Oh, and did I mention DNA origami? Imagine folding DNA strings into nanobots that can transport and eliminate individual cells. It’s happening. Ray Kurzweil’s visions of AI and nanotech are no longer futuristic fantasies—they’re our rapidly evolving reality.

Welcome to the medical revolution. Stay tuned, the future’s unfolding at an incredible rate.

The State of AI: Myths, Biases, and Secret Uses

AI is the talk of the town, but is it overrated? According to a new report, 53% of business professionals think so. Cue the raised eyebrows.

Let's dive in. People suffer from cognitive biases and judge future possibilities based on what they already know. Most aren’t deep into AI; they’re not reading our newsletters or attending keynotes. We’ve seen jaws drop when we demo ChatGPT or Perplexity. At Expo24 in Belgium, reactions ranged from awe to fear. It’s clear: the AI wave is still catching people off guard.

Now, here's a juicy tidbit: secret AI usage at work. Many folks are quietly using ChatGPT to craft texts, keeping them under wraps. The tell? The word "delve." Its usage skyrocketed post-ChatGPT launch. One guy even vowed to ignore any email containing "delve," highlighting how AI leaves subtle fingerprints.

AI Companions: From Korea to New York

Imagine 31,500 robot pets handed out across New York. That's reality! These AI companions are designed to combat loneliness, especially among the elderly. New York isn’t alone in this innovation; South Korea has been leading the charge with AI pets for their rapidly aging population. Facing a demographic crisis, South Korea turned to technology by distributing robot dogs with basic AI to offer companionship to their elderly citizens.

Japan, another country with a significant elderly population, has also embraced robotic companions. The cultural affinity for robots makes this transition smoother. These initiatives do more than provide comfort; they acclimate us to AI in our daily lives. Starting with something familiar like a pet, we grow more comfortable with AI’s presence.

Remember Sony's AIBO? This robotic dog, launched in the early 2000s, was way ahead of its time. Despite its hefty price tag, it was packed with sensors and learning algorithms. Although not as advanced as today’s AI, it provided an emotional bond akin to a real pet. Writer Megan Garman’s experience with AIBO, chronicled in her book, shows how these robots can evoke genuine feelings.

As AI evolves, we’ll see more of these robotic companions. They’re not just gadgets; they’re the first step towards integrating AI into our lives, making us more accepting and familiar with their presence.

Learn more about the next generation of companions:

The Rise of Brain-Computer Interfaces

Imagine a future where kids have AI robots like Transformers or Pokémon. Cool, right? Now, pair that with Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs). These devices let us control tech with our minds, making interactions faster and more intuitive.

China isn’t shy about this technology. They openly aim to enhance healthy individuals’ cognitive abilities with BCIs. This isn’t just sci-fi; it’s a reality rapidly unfolding. While some believe China lags behind in tech, the truth is they’re catching up fast, especially in AI and BCIs.

Take their drone swarms, for instance. Thousands of drones controlled by thought alone? Scary, but fascinating. And let’s not forget image reconstruction tech that reads brain activity to recreate visuals with 80% accuracy. This tech bridges AI’s ability to understand our brains and our ability to control tech seamlessly.

It’s a brave new world where our thoughts might soon be our primary interface with technology.

Turning Carbon into Clean Energy: The Copper Revolution

Climate change? Time to meet your match. Researchers at McGill University have crafted a game-changing catalyst to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into methane, a cleaner energy source, using copper nanoclusters. Unlike traditional methods that pump more CO2 into the air, this new process, electrocatalysis, plays it smart.

Mahdi Salehi, Ph.D. candidate at McGill, explains, "Renewable electricity from solar or wind needs immediate use, but our method stores this energy as methane." Imagine capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, turning it into methane, using the methane for energy, and then recycling the CO2 again. This "carbon loop" ensures no new CO2 emissions.

Salehi’s team discovered that smaller copper nanoclusters, some as tiny as 19 atoms, are incredibly efficient at producing methane. Their work, supported by the Canadian Light Source, highlights that the size and structure of these nanoclusters are key.

The next step? Refining the catalyst for industrial-scale applications. The future of clean, sustainable energy just got a copper upgrade.

Summer 2024 Reading list

Are you also looking forward to relaxing and enjoying your summer holiday? We are. Since starting the Innovation Network, we’ve been extremely busy, so it’s time to reflect. Aragorn just came back from a diving trip in Malta, and Patrick is taking a road trip with his family through Eastern Europe. That means more time to read, and we thought it would be nice to share an extensive reading list for your summer as well. Here we go!

Matthew Rapley and Paul Heather - Why Empires Fall (2024)

Rapley and Heather provide a compelling analysis of the rise and fall of empires, drawing parallels with contemporary global powers. This book examines historical patterns, societal dynamics, and the internal and external factors that contribute to the decline of great civilizations, offering insights into modern geopolitical challenges. The most recent insights paint an important picture about the fall of Rome, providing invaluable lessons for our own Western Empire and its inevitable demise. To truly understand the future, one must view it through the dialectical lens of history.

Ray Kurzweil - The Singularity is Nearer (2024)

Ray is surely one of our top 5 influencers in futurism. His 2004 book "The Singularity is Near" is gradually being understood by more people, and with the Singularity approaching, his follow-up book is here. Get ready for more insights into rapid advancements in AI, biotechnology, and nanotechnology that will fundamentally alter human life.

Kai-FU Lee - AI 2041 (2024)

The author of "AI Superpowers" (offering a balanced Chinese perspective on AI developments) is back with ten futuristic short stories exploring the implications of AI advancements on society and the economy.

Benjamin Labatut - De MANIAC (2023)

One of the best books of 2023, this novel is beautifully written by Benjamin Labatut, who dives into the world of John von Neumann’s mathematics and its profound, unsettling impact on human understanding and the natural world.

Toby Walsh - Machines Behaving Badly (2022)

Toby Walsh investigates the ethical dilemmas and societal impacts of artificial intelligence. He examines how machines can misbehave, the potential dangers, and the need for robust ethical guidelines.

Byung-Chul Han - The Palliative Society: Pain Today (2022)

This Korean-German thinker is a must-read. His books are small and easy to read but will leave you thinking for a long time. In "The Palliative Society," he explains that we humans have built so much comfort into civilization that we can't cope with pain anymore, leading to a numbing and superficial existence.

Greg Satell - Mapping Innovation (2017)

The further back you go in time, the more likely business books become irrelevant. Not so for Greg Satell’s material. He offers a practical guide to navigating and fostering innovation, highlighting different types of innovation and the contexts in which they thrive.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Antifragile (2012)

Nassim Taleb’s "Antifragile" describes systems and entities that thrive and grow stronger when exposed to stress and volatility. Embracing uncertainty and chaos can lead to greater resilience and success, a concept laid out so clearly in this book.

Koert van Mensvoort - Next Nature (2011)

Dutch philosopher van Mensvoort is far ahead of his time. In "Next Nature," he eloquently explains that the divide we make between nature and technology is not as binary as we think. Some technologies, like clothes, are extremely ‘natural’ for us, and AI might become similarly integrated soon.

Richard Dawkins - The Selfish Gene (1976)

Let’s go further back in time. "The Selfish Gene" is a seminal work where Richard Dawkins introduces the concept of memes as units of cultural transmission or imitation, akin to genes in biological heredity. This fascinating idea has profound implications for understanding information replicators that travel quickly across the world.

Hermann Hesse - Siddhartha (1922)

Going back more than a century, this book is helpful for anyone feeling stress or difficulty coping with today’s information overload. Hermann Hesse’s "Siddhartha" follows a man's spiritual journey in ancient India, exploring themes of wisdom, self-exploration, and enlightenment. This poetic novel remains powerful and relevant even today.

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