DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

                                                                      

                 By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

AI IS RESURRECTING TOP MOVIE STARS OF THE PAST

                                                

                                                    Source:  James Dean, Cherished Stars Stock

• AI is beginning to blur the lines between the past and the future of movies by resurrecting in digital form legendary actor James Dean to star in a new movie, 70 years after his death
• His digital clone will walk, talk and interact with co-stars as the star of the upcoming sci-fi movie "Back to Eden"
• This particular artistic use of AI is being hailed by some as enabling the immortalization of great actors from the past and providing audiences with an authentic opportunity to enjoy their talent once again
• Other industry and legal experts worry that it violates the posthumous rights of dead actors and denies current, living actors new acting opportunities
• This technology is at the center of Hollywood computer generated imagery and also is a fundamental issue in the actors & screenwriters' strike (1st one in 43 years) who fear they're being replaced by AI algorithms
• The new AI technology goes beyond movies:  the digital clone "avatars" can interact with audiences on platforms like virtual reality, augmented reality, gaming and more
• Those involved in re-creating the digital actors say it takes a tremendous amount of expertise to create authentic digital clones: scanning and feeding countless images, converting them to high res, digitizing them using advanced technologies, adding voice, video and AI to bring it to life
• The new James Dean movie is expected to be a blockbuster and so too are the legal and ethical debates over this highly innovative way to create new movies.

WORLD's 1st WEATHER FORECASTING INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM

                                                                Source:  Tomorrow.oi

• Boston-based Tomorrow.oi calls itself the world's 1st weather intelligence platform to provide micro-WX forecasts in real-time
• The software company has developed Gale, which is the next-G of weather forecasting using satellite AI powered weather intelligence to micro-forecast conditions in real-time
• Tomorrow.oi uses data from satellites, sensors on cars and planes and drones flying over specific zip codes to predict micro changes in weather conditions for companies like Delta Airlines and JetBlue so they can adjust their flight schedules, reduce risks and increase operational efficiency
• JetBlue, which is an investor, says Gale's real-time weather intelligence is saving it $300,000 a month by minimizing delays and cancellations
• Other clients include the NFL, Ford and Uber
• This new technology utilizing AI was developed as a response to Climate Change and the extreme weather that it is now causing across virtually most of the US and Europe
• It is important innovation with the potential to save lives, such as air passengers, and increase efficiency for weather impacted operations.

2 NEW HI-TECH FOOTBALL HELMETS TO SAVE LIVES

                                                            Source:  UVA, Stanford, Stock

• Looking forward to the upcoming football season? New tech may soon make it better and safer
• 2 new football helmets are under development, both using liquid cushioning, to absorb hits and help prevent traumatic brain injury
• University of Virginia engineers & material scientists have developed a highly advanced nanofoam placed in inner and outer helmet layers that compresses with the hit and dispenses the force
• This helmet can take multiple hits and then regain its original shape for reuse
• It's very promising tech that the researchers say can also be used for car occupants and even hospital patients susceptible to falls
• Meanwhile, scientists at Stanford University, working with the company Savior Brain, have developed a new football helmet that uses 21 liquid shock absorbers positioned inside the helmet to cushion & protect the athlete's brain
• The research team says it has the potential to reduce the impact of a blow to the brain by one-third
• They are now converting their computer modelled helmet into a physical prototype 
• Millions of people a year suffer concussions from sports & NFL players are especially vulnerable because of the roughness of the game
• These new high-tech helmets could become gamechangers and life savers for athletes.

"Daily Innovation Brief" © By Edward Kane