Dean Mai

I specialize in identifying disruptive, core technologies and strategic technology trends in early-stage startups, research universities, government sponsored laboratories and commercial companies.

In my current role, I lead sourcing of strategic technology investment opportunities and managing Dyson’s diligence and outreach processes, specifically in the U.S., Israel and China.

I write here (sporadically) on the convergence of science and engineering, with broader adopted interests in novel disruptive technologies, cognitive psychology, human-computer interaction (HCI), philosophy, linguistics and artificial intelligence (AI).

Feb 5
Feb 5 Net neutrality laws: A policy perspective

The free and equal exchange of packets of information is at the very heart of the internet. It is this free exchange which made the modern internet possible, and with it the many business, educational, and informational changes it has brought around the globe. For decades, no one questioned or challenged this core concept. The information was there for the taking, and millions of Internet uses reaped the benefits of growing high-speed internet and the many new resources it made available. Ironically, the very thing that made the Internet successful and widespread also gave birth to the very thing that would threaten the Internet’s future: the growth of high-speed Internet during the first decade of this century.

Dec 15
Dec 15 Patents in an era of artificial intelligence

intellectual property, software, innovation

The fuzziness of software patents’ boundaries has already turned the ICT industry into one colossal turf war. The expanding reach of IP has introduced more and more possibilities for opportunistic litigation (suing to make a buck). In the US, two-thirds of all patent law suits are currently over software, with 2015 seeing more patent lawsuits filed than any other year before.

Nov 3
Nov 3 Ambient intelligence: A new multidisciplinary paradigm

artificial intelligence

The future of artificial intelligence is not so much about direct interaction between humans and machines, but rather indirect amalgamation with the technology that is all around us, as part of our everyday environment. Rather than having machines with all-purpose intelligence, humans will interact indirectly with machines having highly developed abilities in specific roles. Their sum will be a machine ecosystem that adapts to and aids in whatever humans are trying to do. In that future, the devices might feel more like parts of an overall environment we interact with, rather than separate units we use individually. This is what ambient intelligence is.

Jun 5
Jun 5 Unravelling smart cities: An integrative framework

By 2030 the world’s 750 largest cities will account for 61 percent of global GDP. Supporting and establishing those future cities as smart cities (with sophisticated sensors, buildings, and appliances everywhere to ensure the management of city infrastructures and the delivery of services to its citizens) will be very different in many ways and thus is already becoming a major priority. Its fundamental solution, the Internet of Things, will create a digital layer of infrastructure that will help citizens access and consume any information they need, no matter where they are.

May 24
May 24 Rethinking additive manufacturing and intellectual property protection

intellectual property, 3d printing

While patent laws protect design concepts in the traditional manufacturing model, additive manufacturing is not so clear-cut. The legal question becomes, "Who really owns the design of a part that is printed?". And regarding counterfeiting of parts, the technology of additive manufacturing makes reverse engineering an unnecessary step, thereby easing the way for counterfeiters to do their work quickly and more efficiently. Add to that the very real concern about the structural integrity of objects produced by additive manufacturing methods, and you can see that counterfeit parts produced in this way may result in catastrophic failure, and, depending on the use of the object, even potentially loss of life.