Three ideas from IdeaSpies were presented by Jack Digby Lawyer at the Ashurst June 2019 Boardroom Lunch addressed by David Thodey AO. The idea receiving the most votes from directors was to convert brain signals into speech. This idea now goes to the final at the December Boardroom Lunch to select the top idea for the year. https://www.ideaspies.com/posts/brain-decoder-that-turns-brain-signals-into-speech 

Briggo has created a fully automated, robotic brewing machine that can produce 100 cups of coffee in an hour ? equaling the output of three to four baristas. Using a blend of Latin American beans, the machine ? known as a ?coffee haus? ? creates cups of gourmet coffee that can be ordered via an app, giving you control over ingredients. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/03/22/baristas-beware-robot-that-makes-gourmet-cups-coffee-has-arrived/

Samsung's AI center in Moscow has released a new algorithm capable of creating fake talking-head videos with just a few images of a person's face. Hollywood has been creating fake videos for decades via special effects so this type of technology could be seen as merely democratizing special effects. Look for its use to increase in news as well as in entertainment. Importantly, as trust in video as a source of truth declines, the importance of a trustworthy reputation should increase. Seen in Abundance Insider. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/samsung-ai-deepfake-videos/

A team of Chinese scientists has developed a new process that could ignificantly reduce the time needed to extract rare earths from ore, and it could also cut industry pollution. Extracting the trace metal elements is difficult and takes days to complete, but researchers have found a way to shorten the process to minutes. The 17 trace metal elements in rare earths are critical to the manufacture of nearly all hi-tech products, from semiconductors to smartphones and stealth fighter jets. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3012641/chinese-scientists-find-faster-way-extract-rare-earths-may-also