In the past 18 months, Capital One has expanded past its usual banking activities, and begun exploring the AI Biotech Sector. But do they belong? While 2 assets in 18 months may not seem substantial on the surface, the AI Biotech field is a large jump from the financial field where Capital One holds most of their IP. A further dive into these 2 documents raises questions about Capital One’s motives. The first patent, (U.S. Pat. No. 10346541) teaches a method that uses AI to decipher and send messages conveying a user’s mental state through messaging apps. Their other asset, (U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 20210090710) teaches a method of analyzing a user's online activity to diagnose unhealthy online behaviors and provide treatment plans to reduce the negative effects of a user’s time online.
Both describe the costs often associated with mental health issues, but do little else to hint at why a banking company would be patenting technology related to diagnosing these disorders, or what the company may be planning to do with the technology. Capital One focuses primarily on banking, but does have some interests in Sports Marketing and identify theft/fraud protection.
While the future of banking remains unclear in light of technologies such as blockchain and crypto currency (which by the way, Capital One holds a massive amount of IP in), Capital One’s interest in deciphering the mental state of its users certainly raises the question: What does Capital One intend to do with this information? Check back to the Patent Forecast® to see if Capital One continues to pursue IP in the AI Biotech Sector. Staying on top of Capital One’s IP in this sector could answer this question much sooner than waiting for a press release or public announcement!