Reflect Orbital plans to launch a test satellite later this year with an 18-by-18-meter mirror in orbit, with the goal of eventually launching up to 50,000 larger satellites that can reflect sunlight to Earth on demand. New research suggests the giant beams could shine as bright as 10,000 full moons and scatter light over tens of kilometers, raising concerns about dark skies, aviation, and wildlife. The company says the technology could extend sunlight for solar panel charging, emergency response, and military activities.
Meanwhile, when Insilico Medicine used its computer models to propose a promising drug for pulmonary fibrosis, it claimed the molecule had been "discovered by" generative AI. But when filing a patent, the company named five humans as the drug's "inventors" with no mention of AI. This discrepancy highlights a fundamental question in intellectual-property law: no matter how integral AI is to a discovery, only humans can legally receive credit as inventors. As AI models become capable of generating drug designs more easily, experts say patent law will need to confront what it means to invent.