Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Radio New Zealand

An American computer scientist wants New Zealand’s courts to decide whether AI can legally be an inventor in a global test case next week.

Stephen Thaler is seeking a patent for a new type of food container.

The sticking point is he named his artificial intelligence system, called DABUS, as the inventor.

The Patent Office turned his application down in 2022, and the High Court agreed, with both saying an “inventor” had to be human.

Thaler was set to challenge that in the Court of Appeal on February 24.

His lawyer Clive Elliott KC said when Thaler filled out his application for a patent, he was simply stating the truth.

“He didn’t actually invent this food container, it was his machine,” he said.

“He invented what he calls an autonomous invention machine, in other words, an AI system which is itself able to invent.”

But in its 2023 decision, the High Court said the law in New Zealand did not allow for DABUS to get the credit.

“If the legislators had intended to allow granting of patents in New Zealand for inventions devised solely by non-humans such as artificial intelligences, or life forms other than human beings they would have drafted the Act to accommodate these possibilities specifically and explicitly,” it said.

But Elliot said New Zealand’s Patents Act was only passed in 2013 so parliament knew about artificial intelligence when they created it – and did not exclude it.

Auckland University law professor and intellectual property expert Alex Sims said beyond the technicalities of the case, there was a bigger picture about whether AI could truly be an inventor.

“What AI does is it’s hoovering up human creativity and then it’s using that to produce something. So some people would actually argue that it’s not being creative because it’s all premised on what has gone before,” she said.

Thaler was part of a group taking cases about AI and patents around the world to try to set a precedent.

Auckland University lecturer Joshua Yuvaraj followed his – unsuccessful – attempt in Australia.

People had been at the heart of intellectual property law as it developed over centuries, because there was no mechanism for creation other than the human mind, he said.

“That is why AI is challenging that notion because AI, it appears, can do a lot of what the human mind can do is the argument. That is the tension that IP law is facing.”

Patent were seen as important because they would determine whether someone’s designs could be protected if they were created by AI.

“Say you use an AI to make a new type of e-scooter or a new type of kettle or a new coffee machine, if you can’t register that patent then someone can take that idea and make money off your idea,” he said

Sims said many countries tended to be in lock step when it came to intellectual property law.

Most were grappling with the AI patent challenge.

An inquiry in the UK had considered the issue and those it talked to had mixed views, she said.

Some people worried by not allowing AI patents, it could stifle creativity and innovation because people would tend not to use AI.

Others worried letting AI be an inventor would push people out of the creative process, she said.

Thaler and his group were testing the law in several countries but had been unsuccessful everywhere but South Africa, which was considered to have a unique style of IP law.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The mother of a man who still has nerve damage more than a year after huffing nitrous oxide – and is no longer unable to work in construction – wants tougher regulation around nangs.

Health and community leaders are concerned about a surge in huffing – including in Hawke’s Bay, where hundreds of kilos of large discarded canisters have been collected. Two cases of nerve damage in the region have also been linked to huffing nitrous oxide recently.

The gas has legitimate medical and catering uses, but is also used recreationally for a high that can cause serious side effects.

While it is illegal to sell nitrous oxide for huffing, a Checkpoint investigation found stores are selling large canisters of the gas that are the equivalent of hundreds of hits – with virtually no questions asked.

The New Zealand Drug Foundation has said recreational drug users often inhale it for a short-lived high.

However, the availability of thermos-sized canisters of the gas have community leaders and doctors seriously concerned about the safety and health risks linked to consuming large quantities of the gas.

One mother – who does not want to be named – says her son was buying large quantities of the gas and thought he could manage his doses.

But she told Checkpoint that things got serious when he started losing his balance.

“It was almost like he was drunk and couldn’t hold his balance, and his legs were like jelly.”

She said it was not constant, but there were times when he could not use a knife and fork.

“He just couldn’t grip it correctly, and was really struggling.

“He said he couldn’t feel his feet or his fingers, so they were completely numb and he had no sensation in his feet.”

She eventually took him to hospital after hearing him “crash” in their home at Christmas 2024.

“I was devastated. We just didn’t know what was wrong…and we just took him to hospital,” she said.

The woman says her son continues to suffer nerve damage, and that he had been purchasing the large canister products “regularly” from dairies when he became ill.

“I don’t know how much he was using, but I think to get into the state that he was, it was extreme,” she said.

“I was shocked that he just bought it from the local dairy.”

When she took him to hospital in late 2024, he ended up being admitted for an eight-day stay.

“He said he couldn’t feel his feet and his fingers, so they were completely numb and he had no sensation in his feet.

“It was almost like he was drunk and couldn’t hold his balance and…his legs kind of were jelly. But that wasn’t constant.

“And the real challenging time was when he couldn’t use a knife and fork, like he just couldn’t hold it, grip it correctly and… was just really struggling.”

The woman shared her story with Checkpoint because she wanted people to understand how dangerous nitrous oxide was, and that it was easily accessible – despite requirements under the Psychoactive Substances Act.

She said the ongoing impacts on her son, who previously worked in the construction industry, had been particularly heartbreaking.

“The thing is…my son was trying to be a responsible user and had looked into the adverse effects of using this drug and saw that it depleted vitamin B12, so he was taking B12.

“But it obviously was not enough.”

She said it took about 10 hours for doctors at the hospital to establish her son’s symptoms were a result of nerve damage from low levels of vitamin B12 and nitrous oxide use.

More than a year later, he continued to have problems and had not been able to return to his work in the construction industry.

“He obviously can use a knife and fork and things more easily now…but I feel like he hasn’t got 100 percent sensation back in his feet,” she said.

“I know nerves do take a long time to heal and grow back, but we’re talking about 15 months since he was hospitalised.”

She said she was so angry by what happened to her son, and that there was no information out there about how to deal with it.

“It’s just horrifying, I just can’t believe it’s happening still. The minister needs to stop it being sold through dairies for a start. It’s just crazy and there needs to be some regulation around it.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown previously said the government took nitrous oxide misuse “very seriously”.

He highlighted tougher enforcement measures around sale of the gas, which were introduced last year.

“These changes were designed to provide greater clarity for retailers and enforcement agencies, and to ensure there are appropriate consequences when the law is not followed,” he said in a statement.

“I have requested advice on how effective these changes have been, including whether the penalties are adequate, to ensure we can keep New Zealanders safe.”

For anyone affected by issues discussed in this story, free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor. Or call 0800 Lifeline or text HELP to 4357.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 30,000 properties have lost power as wild winds bring trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.

Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, evacuations are underway at homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton due to the threat of falling trees.

Wairarapa assistant commander Ian Wright said it had been a busy night with weather-related call outs, which continue, and that trees coming down are the biggest risk.

He says there are shallow rooted trees on Lincoln Road that are “very, very unstable, so both roads have been closed and the people have been evacuated”.

Air NZ has cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.

“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.

Five districts – Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga District – are in states of emergency.

Follow RNZ’s live coverage above for the most up-to-date information.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Animosity between two men led to one of them being murdered and dismembered, a Christchurch High Court jury has heard.

Michael Scott Rodger, 46, is accused of murdering Richard Leman, 41, whose body was found in the boot of his own car parked at an abandoned house in Tyler Street in Rangiora in April 2023.

Leman’s torso was found in the car but his head, legs and arms are still missing.

In his opening statement on Monday afternoon, prosecutor Sean Mallett said Leman’s life was chaotic at the time of his death.

He said Leman was involved in the consumption and supply of methamphetamine and had financial problems that had drawn the attention of gangs.

He was also having problems with his ex-partner about the care of his children and had issues with police, the jury heard.

On the day he died, Mallett said Leman smoked methamphetamine with friend Sara Plimmer and the pair then went to the home of another woman, Morgan Grant, to bring her food.

While the two women sat in a bedroom and ate, Leman went to look for a way to smoke more methamphetamine, Mallett said.

He said Rodger had also been invited over by Grant.

“The two women will tell you that as they were sitting on the bed eating the Burger King they heard arguing coming from an adjoining lounge and went to investigate,” Mallett said.

“They found Mr Leman and Mr Rodger in the lounge facing each other, while Mr Rodger had a gun in his hand.”

The Crown argues Rodger shot Leman twice, first in the leg, then a fatal shot to his chest.

Mallett said no-one gave Leman first-aid or called emergency services and Leman died within minutes.

He said Rodger threatened to kill both women, took Leman’s drugs and cash and dragged his body into another room.

Mallett said the women would be key witnesses.

Defence lawyer Pip Hall told the jury the women’s reliability would be pivotal, arguing their evidence was driven by self-protection and clouded by alcohol and methamphetamine.

Hall said his client says he did not shoot or kill Leman and the accusation was made up as a result of the women’s collusion.

The trial is expected to take about four weeks.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Wellington plastic surgeon is patching up dog attack victims on a weekly basis, with some injuries so severe they are life changing.

Dr Emily Yassaie has already treated two dog attack victims this week.

She told Checkpoint Aotearoa needs to reviews animal control laws and consider mandatory reporting of bites and dog related injuries requiring medical treatment.

Checkpoint has been investigating the issue of aggressive dogs with some communities who have said they are effectively hostages to the problem and have to carry weapons in case they get attacked.

There are also growing calls for an overhaul of the 30 year old dog control act, in the face of increasing attacks.

Doctor Emily Yassaie said it is not just roaming dogs that are the issue, but also children around unsupervised or unfamiliar dogs.

“It’s really common, obviously, with all sorts of injuries they come in fits and starts, but it’s always common.”

While this week had already brought two surgeries caused by dog attacks for Dr Yassaei, it has been a big issue for a long time.

“A paper that some of my colleagues had written about dog bites quite a few years ago [showed] that there was 100,000 dog-related injuries over a five-year period between 2014 and 2019, and 3,500 of those required hospitalisation, so it’s a fairly big problem.”

She said the severity of injuries can range greatly, but even minor injuries could have severe consequences.

“Typically, because children are affected so much, they are a small injury but they are a lifelong injury with a visible difference, usually on the face. So even though they’re small and easy to repair, they have long-lasting consequences.”

Some attacks were so bad that people had lost parts of their face, like ears and noses.

“Really destructive tearing type injuries, which for at least one person I’ve seen in my career, the conversation was about things like face transplants, so they can be absolutely devastating.”

Dr Yassaei said treating the injuries came with a number of difficulties.

“They’re multifactorial injuries. So there’s not just the lacerations of tissue, but there is the destruction and tearing forces of everything underneath. So things like nerves, muscles.”

“There’s also the factor that a lot of the tissue that gets torn is devitalized, also doesn’t have a blood supply so you can’t necessarily repair that, you have to get rid of that and then reconstruct.”

She said contamination from the dog bite itself added an extra challenge to treating the wounds, as well as further contamination from the environment, such as soil.

“For the repair of them, usually for the big ones, it’s a multi-stage process where the first thing is cleaning the wounds, giving them a day to settle, just removing any of the dead tissue that you can’t use, and then coming back to reconstruct, which can be from one to multiple operations depending on the area and what’s injured.”

Most of the severe injuries Dr Yassaei sees from large dogs, such as Pitbulls, Shar Peis, Bullmastiffs and other crossbreeds within those types of large dog.

“It’s just the nature of biology, really. They’re stronger, they have different types of instinctual behaviour, and they can bring the most force and damage to people,”

“We’ve always wondered whether there should be some sort of either registration programme or some rules around public access to these dogs to try and reduce risk. But I understand that comes with a lot of debate.”

She said that a mandatory requirement to report dog bites and attacks as they come into hospitals could be a step forward in tackling the issue.

“The more data you have, the more you can accurately assess whether it is a breed issue, or it is a location issue or it is a training issue.

Currently data is available through ACC, which Dr Yassaei said shows a correlation between areas of deprivation and dog attacks.

“When you look at the decile 10 areas compared to decile one, those in greater deprivation are much more likely to be admitted to hospital with a dog bite. So it is not only a medical issue, but a social issue as well.”

While most injuries occur within adults, she said children who get bitten are far more likely to require hospitalisation and surgery.

“When they looked at it with regards to Māori and non-Māori, there’s a much higher rate of hospitalisation for Māori children compared to non-Māori.”

Like many others Dr Yassaei believes that it is time to take a look at the current dog laws.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Residents in South Wairarapa are turning to one another in the face of “unprecedented” flooding that triggered several evacuations overnight.

The stormy weather lashing the region has caused rivers to burst their banks, inundating roads and cutting off communities.

Thousands of homes were without power across Wairarapa on Monday morning, roads have been closed and schools and trains cancelled.

Flooding has isolated settlements from Pirinoa to Lake Ferry and the south coast at Cape Palliser – which is being battered by southerly gales and huge waves.

The wild weather meant South Wairarapa farmer Scotty Macdonald didn’t get much sleep, after helping to evacuate three homes in the early hours of Monday morning.

Macdonald said the call-outs weren’t official.

“We couldn’t get to Lake Ferry to get the fire trucks so we were just in our personal wagons.

He said a couple of the homes were already on their way out the door, but the first call at 4am on Monday necessitated a wake-up.

A farmer shifting animals had got in touch with him directly after becoming concerned about flooding at his neighbour’s place.

“It’s previously flooded so we knew there was a risk there.

“Within another hour the house was probably close to a metre underwater, but at the time it was only lapping around the edges.”

The resident was woken up “very politely, of course” and told it was time to go.

“It’s time to boogie buddy.”

Macdonald said the extent of the flooding has split already cut off settlements into little islands on high ground.

“All along the road – where the rivers meet the road – the roads have been flooded, so we’ve kind of got little sections of population all the way along that are semi-isolated.

“I’ve been here all my life and we’ve had events like this before, but as far as the water levels go, this would be the highest. There are unprecedented areas that haven’t seen this kind of flooding before,” he said.

Macdonald said reception was patchy, but support agencies had been making phone calls and neighbours were checking in on one another where they could.

He said the only thing to do now was to hunker down and wait for the water to drop.

“It’s just too dangerous to go anywhere at the moment.”

Another resident in the areas told RNZ it had been a “long and loud night” and they were flooded in.

“[We’re] in the process of getting fallen trees of the driveways and the road in case the rivers decide to overflow.

“High tide’s not until 5, so we’ll be watching how the day goes!”

They said friends in Whangaimoana beach have had “their whole house go under”.

Fire and Emergency’s Ian Wright said earlier on Monday that residents in Ngawi had been evacuated to Pirinoa Hall due to rising floodwaters, as well as some tourists at The Pinnacles Campgrounds.

On Monday morning former South Wairarapa District Councillor Brian Jephson told Local Democracy Reporting (LDR)’s Sue Teodoro that Cape Palliser Road on the Wellington side of Ngawi was damaged where a stream had blown out a culvert.

“It’s impassable,” he said.

“There’s not much point going down there until the water stops going through it.”

Jephson said while he had about 62mm of rain, his daughter further north had more than 200mm.

“This is nothing new for us down this way,” he said.

Powerco reported at 8.45am on Monday that storms across the lower North Island left 23,455 customers without power.

The hardest-hit areas were the Wairarapa with 8166 outages, Whanganui with 7846, and Manawatū with 6961.

“Wild weather is expected to continue in parts of the network today which may hamper reconnection work and cause more outages,” a spokesperson told LDR.

-Additional reporting by LDR

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cars stranded by a slip in rural Taihape are now free after a local farmer cleared a path through the slip with his tractor.

About 20 cars were stuck for several hours between a flood and a slip in the remote area of Turakina Valley Road with no cell coverage.

The Rangitikei Mayor Andy Watson says the cars were able to drive out and he believed they were now heading to Taihape.

Watson previously said he understood it was a local farmer who raised the alarm, calling emergency services to report what he could see.

It had been very hard to get information, he said.

It appears the cars took a back route after State Highway 1 was closed.

“They’ve found flood water that was too deep to drive through then slip has come down behind them and effectively blocked their path,” he said.

Residents in the wider district have told RNZ there are trees blocking may roads, with people not able to get to work.

State Highway 1 has been closed around Taihape.

Watson said it some of the roads the cars took would normally only see “half a dozen” cars a day, he said.

Rangitikei District Council said contractors were working to clear debris, and it was working with Civil Defence on a response to the situation.

Police said they were notified at 12.30pm.

St John Ambulance said it had so far not been required.

Establishing communication the priority

Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence said its first priority was to establish communication with those who were trapped.

State Highway 1 was closed between Hunterville and Waiouru and people should not use Turakina Valley Road as a detour, it said.

Many other local roads were also closed.

People should avoid non-essential travel because the roads were treacherous from fallen trees and the possibility for landslides.

Winiata Marae opens to stranded travellers

About 80 people are sheltering at Winiata Marae, in Taihape, which has opened to stranded travellers.

The marae’s chairman Jordan Winiata said they were travellers who had become stranded, unable to reach their destinations.

“They’re stranded because of what’s happening on the highways, we’ve got some InterCity buses, just multiple travellers that would have been going from A to B that unfortunately have been caught in between the roads being open and closed.”

He said the marae was preparing to host those stranded overnight and had capacity for 300.

Winiata said the power was out at the marae, but they had a generator and running water and gas for cooking.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand