DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Edward Kane, Journalist

DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

REVERAND ROB - ROBO PREACHER

Source: Stock & Kodai-ji Temple's Mindar

We are living at a time when AI robots are replacing surgeons, professors at Harvard, airline pilots, drivers and more -- new research asks could they replace human preachers with Reverand Rob, the Robo Preacher?
It's being tried: In Kyoto, Japan at the 400-year-old Kodai-ji Temple a robot priest named Mindar is on duty
Mindar is designed to resemble the Buddist goddess of mercy and provides sermons on the teachings of Budda, which are very well attended
But new research has found that it is not so easy to replace ministers, priests and rabbis with AI robots
While the AI robot preachers are very capable, they lack credibility
Researchers from the University of Chicago and the National University of Singapore surveyed Temple congregations in Japan, Singapore and churches in the US and Germany
The faithful found the robot sermons to be less credible and they gave less in donations
The researchers' conclusion: automation of religious preachers is far less effective than the real, human kind
Today's Scientific American has an op-ed by researchers Prof. Joshua Conrad Jackson and Prof. Kai Chi Yen on their unique and innovative research into real preachers vs. robo preachers.
It appears that for religious preaching a human touch rather than AI is what's needed, at least for now.

MERCEDES TO UNVEIL ENTRY-LEVEL, HI-TECH EV

Source: Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz is going to unveil a hot, entry level, CLA electric sedan in September at the IAA Mobility 2023 event in Munich
This new EV is in a highly coveted category, loaded with advanced interior tech and geared to young buyers
It will join Vision One-Eleven EV and EQXX in Munich to showcase MB's new technologies for EVs
Here are the key facts we know so far:

The 3 new concept cars debuting this fall in Munich are MB's vision for innovation, design and the digital experience going forward.

SOUTH KOREA'S AUTONOMOUS FLYING TAXI

Source: SHIFT

South Korean drone maker, This Is Engineering (TIE), just unveiled its concept for an autonomous eVTOL air taxi, the Shift Compson
The company claims to have engineered eVTOL technology to the next-generation level of performance
Here's what we know about SHIFT:

Tilting quadcopter air taxi
Highspeed, autonomous flight technology
Carries 5 people
Top speed - 330 km/h or 205 mph
Range - 280 km or 174 miles
eVTOL - electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle
Unique safety systems: instantaneous control response & maneuverability including turning radius & braking system
Designed to be less impacted by wind & weather conditions
Claim: highly advanced tech over other eVTOLs for speed, efficiency, vulnerability to wind gusts & maintenance costs
Status: prototype being finalized for flight tests

Important Innovations Collection