Over 100 IP, technology, and business professionals gathered at the Oracle Conference Center on May 20, 2024, for the LES Silicon Valley’s 20th Annual Chapter Conference. The conference theme, “AI Unleashed: Unicorn or Trojan Horse?” set the stage for exploring the intricate intersection of artificial intelligence and intellectual property. Speakers included representatives from emerging startups to world-leading companies, offering a wide array of perspectives on AI’s dual role: its potential as a transformative force (Unicorn) and its implications as a potential risk or challenge (Trojan Horse). The keynote speakers and panel discussions addressed the current and potential impacts of AI on intellectual property rights, innovation strategies, and the legal landscape in Silicon Valley and beyond.
SCALING MAGIC: Transforming Business with Generative AI
As the morning keynote speaker, Matthew Kropp, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), spoke about what Generative AI can do for organizations and how to achieve the actual impact from deploying it. He shared BCG’s research on the potential, the pitfalls, and the secret of getting employees to joyfully embrace this powerful tool.
The Future of Generative AI: What Organizations Need to Know
In his keynote presentation, Greg Pavlik, Senior Vice President, AI and Data Management Service, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure at Oracle, highlighted the latest advances in AI and how Oracle is addressing them. Pavlik provided attendees with information on how to successfully implement AI at every layer of the Oracle technology stack.
Deus ex Machina: AI – Catalyst of Change or Chaos?
This panel discussed AI’s impact on business applications across the high-tech and life sciences industries, and the impact of AI transformation on IP strategy. Panel: (left to right) Maital Rasmussen, Former Chief Commercial Officer, Octave, Board Member, Pluri; Jordan Becker, Partner, Perkins Coie; Shaloo Garg, Managing Director, Late-Stage Startups & Unicorns, Microsoft; Efrat Kasznik, Moderator, LES-SVC Chair, LES Board Member, President, Foresight Evaluation Valuation Group. (Perkins Coie and Foresight Valuation Group were two event sponsors).
AI: Revenge of the Hardware
This panel delved into the thrilling cycle of innovation where AI’s growing demands (e.g., energy) fuel hardware breakthroughs, which, in turn, unlock new AI opportunities. Panelists: (left to right) Louis Ross, CEO, MEI Micro; Abul Nuruzzaman, VP of Semiconductor Technology and IP Licensing, Adeia; David George, COO, TetraMEM (former HR Labs); and Michael Pierantozzi, Moderator, LES-SVC Board Member, IAM Strategy 300. (Adeia was one of the event sponsors).
AI in Action: Real Paths to Commercial Success
The panel explored how service/solution providers are rising to the challenge of developing AI-enabled business tools that can improve productivity across various industries. Panel: (left to right) Tom Mavrakakis, Director, Patents, IBM; Subash Krishnankutty, Multimedia and New Segment Licensing, Nokia; Jiyoung Choi, COO, ValueNex; Zack Cable, Chief Revenue Officer, Otter.ai; Pallavi Shah, Moderator, Managing Director, Mobity LLC, LES-SVC Board Member. (Nokia and ValueNex were two of the event sponsors).
VC Perspectives on the Evolution of AI and Systems Applications
The panel focused on the R&D efforts and venture capital investing in AI applications, centering on the evolution of the smart factory and autonomous networks. Panel: (left to right) Reza Khaj, PhD, Early-Stage Investor at Plug and Play Ventures; Hermann Schindler, CEO, Scalator X Ventures Inc.; Naser Adas, Co-Founder and COO, Xcelerium; and Darius Sankey, PhD, Moderator, General Partner, IAC, LES-SVC Board Member.
Navigating the AI Revolution: A New Blueprint for Innovation and Collaboration
The panel uncovered how ScaleIP leveraged AI to transform IP monetization. Panel: (left to right) Eric Ver Ploeg, Founding Partner, Tunitas Ventures (investor, ScaleIP); Mark Leonard, Founder/CEO, ScaleIP, Co-Chair LES-Colorado Chapter; and Kent Richardson, Moderator, Partner, Richardson Oliver Law Group, LES-SVC Board Member. (Richardson Oliver Law Group was one of the event’s sponsors).
LES Silicon Valley Chapter (SVC) Board
Thank you to our SVC Board members who developed and led the conference planning and presentations for our 20th Annual Chapter Conference. Left to right: Mark Holmes, PatentBridge; Michael Zachary, Bunsow De Mory LLP; Pallavi Shah, Mobity LLC; Kent Richardson, Partner, Richardson Oliver Law Group; Joe Yang, PatentEsque Law Group, LLP; Efrat Kasznik, Foresight Valuation Group; Michael Pierantozzi, IAM, Andiamo Associates, LLC; Kerry Kimes, Rambus; and Darius Sankey, Innovation Acceleration Capital. Not pictured: Larry Udell, SVC Founder and Chair Emeritus.
Thank you to our generous event and chapter sponsors:
Adeia, Bunsow De Mory LLP, Dolcera, Foresight Valuation Group, KPMG, Nokia, Oracle, Perkins Coie, Richardson Oliver Law Group, VALUENEX and Media Partner: IAM
To wrap it all up – for those who missed the event, here are the Top 10 Things Heard About/From AI at the LES SVC Annual Meeting (as compiled by Chapter Chair Efrat Kasznik):
- LeBron James has recently surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career points.
- AI’s goal is to minimize toil and maximize joy.
- AI can provide a completely confident answer that is entirely wrong.
- When looking at AI, we need to segregate the noise from reality.
- The U.S. could need the equivalent of 40 new nuclear plants over the next five years to keep up with AI (and crypto) demands.
- The impact of AI may be as significant as the agricultural revolution.
- Human-to-animal interaction may be the next use case for AI.
- Software is only as good as the hardware it is running on.
- Transactions intelligence and counterparty discovery are the future of IP licensing.
- The audience unanimously voted AI a “Unicorn” and not a “Trojan Horse”!