United Kingdom: Technology

The Supreme Court's decision in Emotional Perception AI has reshaped how software inventions are examined at the UKIPO, aligning UK practice with the EPO's approach. A recent hearing demonstrates that while determining eligibility may be straightforward, assessing which features possess technical character presents significant challenges that can fundamentally impact the inventive step analysis.

The Satellite Applications Catapult's investment in the National Autonomy and Drone Innovation Centre marks a significant development in the convergence of drone and space-based technologies. With the UK government targeting routine beyond-line-of-sight drone flights by 2027 and forecasting a £45 billion drone economy by 2030, this facility aims to accelerate innovation by providing integrated testing capabilities for position, navigation, timing resilience and satellite communications.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority has published new guidance on AI adoption in financial services, setting out expectations for governance, operational resilience, and consumer protection. While the guidance reinforces existing regulatory principles rather than introducing new rules, it signals AI oversight is rising up the supervisory agenda and firms should review their policies against these formalized expectations.

A patent attorney reflects on returning to the University of Cambridge's Physics at Work Exhibition to share insights about career paths stemming from physics degrees. The event provided an opportunity to engage with 14-16-year-old students, demonstrating how physics knowledge translates into intellectual property law and patent protection work.

Recorded live at Lewis Silkin's AI Agenda event, this podcast brings together leaders from technology, workforce strategy, legal and AI sectors to explore what successful AI transformation looks like in practice. The panel examines how organisations can move from experimentation to implementation while maintaining trust, confidence and human judgement at the centre of decision-making.

The emergence and continued progress of commercial launch services has transformed space into a compelling frontier for innovation. Yet, patent infringement occurring in orbit is not a run-of-the-mill IP enforcement issue and can be difficult to address directly. This raises an important question: why invest in patent protection for technologies intended to operate in space? The answer lies in understanding where patent rights can be enforced, but also how patents create commercial value beyond litigation.

A patent attorney explores how Versatile RobotX, a University of Essex spinout, is revolutionizing agriculture through autonomous harvesting robots that combine delicate robotic arms with sophisticated machine vision algorithms. The company has secured over £1 million in funding to tackle the formidable technical challenges of automated fruit and vegetable harvesting, addressing critical labor shortages and the growing demand for smart farming solutions.

Last week marked a pivotal moment in artificial intelligence as OpenAI declared the start of the AGI era with its Astra model, followed by Nvidia's CEO claiming AGI has already arrived. Amid breakthrough mathematical proofs and public resignations from AI researchers warning of extinction risks, questions emerge about what AGI truly means and whether humanity is prepared for the implications of machines that can reason at human levels without consciousness or moral responsibility.

As AI labs call for industry slowdowns and governments grapple with regulatory responses, a critical question emerges: can current frameworks keep pace with rapidly advancing frontier models and the growing risks they pose? From Anthropic's CEO proposing coordinated safety measures to the UK's Joint Committee demanding AI-specific legislation, the regulatory landscape is reaching a pivotal moment that could reshape how artificial intelligence is governed globally.