Podcast

Mireille Gomes – Can Algorithms Heal? Reimagining Health Equity with AI and Data Justice

What if our smartest health tools still miss the people who need them most? We sit down with AI and digital health scientist Mireille Gomes to examine how innovation can serve dignity, not just efficiency—and what it takes to build technology that works from Geneva to rural clinics without electricity.

The journey of Mireille Gomes spans continents and roles, from vaccine strategy at Gavi to AI diagnostics at Merck. Together, we unpack the real barriers to deployment—uneven infrastructure, overworked staff, and data voids that erase entire communities from the record. We look at consent‑first design, why open data must be truly anonymous, and how representation in civil registration and vital statistics underpins every “fair” algorithm. You’ll hear pragmatic ideas for triage tools that flag urgency in seconds, health education in local languages, and micro‑local models that adapt to context while sharing standards globally.

We also push on the hard questions: Who decides which data matters? Can algorithms be biased toward justice if the world is not? Where is the line between breakthrough and overreach when crises demand speed? Mirielle argues for building abuse cases into development, testing for misuse before launch, and preserving community storytelling—especially Indigenous knowledge—alongside dashboards. The goal is health equity by design, so no one’s care depends on their birthplace or bandwidth.

If you care about AI in healthcare, data justice, and solutions that actually work on the ground, this conversation offers a clear roadmap and candid guardrails. If it resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone shaping the future of digital health.

Case Study: Lego’s Playbook For Intellectual Property – Intangiblia™

Think a lost patent ends the story? We unpack how Lego turned a single technical invention into a platform for decades of innovation, brand power, and adult creativity. Starting with the 1958 stud-and-tube coupling, we explain what the original brick patent really covered, why its expiry didn’t sink the company, and how modern patents protect motion, mechanisms, and programmable systems rather than basic interlocking. From there, we map the rest of the toolkit: trademarks for source identity, design rights for appearance, and copyrights for expressive elements.We also dive into the courtroom rulers that drew bright lines on functionality. Attempts to trademark the brick shape faltered in Canada and the EU because function can’t double as a brand signifier, while the minifigure shape prevailed as a 3D trademark. A later EU design-rights win showed that even bricks have protectable visual features when not purely functional. Enforcement cases against Best-Lock and Lepin underline how copyrights and trade dress defend minifigures, packaging, and character designs across markets.Then we switch from courts to culture. Lego’s adult strategy blends nostalgia with display-worthy design: Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series, sleek Architecture skylines, and the Botanical collection that doubles as decor. Black-box, 18+ packaging telegraphs “made for you,” and the brand leans into mindful building as a calming, creative ritual. Finally, we explore Lego Serious Play, an open-source methodology that spreads fast through facilitators while the company retains the brand and sells specialized kits. It’s a masterclass in sharing the method but owning the name.If you enjoy smart takes on how IP, marketing, and design shape the products you love, hit follow, share this with a friend who builds, and leave a review to tell us which Lego insight surprised you most.Send us a textCheck out "Protection for the Inventive Mind" – available now on Amazon in print and Kindle formats. The views and opinions expressed (by the host and guest(s)) in this podcast are strictly their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the entities with which they may be affiliated. This podcast should in no way be construed as promoting or criticizing any particular government policy, institutional position, private interest or commercial entity. Any content provided is for informational and educational purposes only.
  1. Case Study: Lego’s Playbook For Intellectual Property
  2. Zodiac Season, Litigation Rising
  3. From Spark to Impact, the Conscious Path of an Idea
  4. Mireille Gomes – Can Algorithms Heal? Reimagining Health Equity with AI and Data Justice
  5. Jean Marc Seigneur – In Trust We Build: Designing the Future of Digital Reputation

Comment | Comentario

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.