Nathaniel Borenstein
Rejuvenated by a medical miracle after thinking my career and life were ending, I am on a mission to help people envision how we might work together with intelligent machines to build a better world. In my previous life (see bio), I was a researcher, inventor, entrepreneur, executive, and author, best known for the MIME standard for Internet multimedia.
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The Spirit of a Cyborg
From the Dawn of the Information Age to a Shared Future with Intelligent Machines
Why Am I still around?
A Message of Hope for Humanity and Technology
I spent half a century helping build the Internet and thinking about Artificial Intelligence. I’m best known for leading the development of MIME, the Internet standard for multimedia data used trillions of times daily, and for creating First Virtual Holdings, the first Internet payment system.
I thought my story was nearly over, and I was preparing to die, when a clinical trial of an experimental drug gave me the best health of my life and a clearer vision of what matters most. I am using my extra time on this Earth to share messages of hope: that we can work with AI to radically improve the human condition, and that no matter how dark the present, we are never without hope for a better future.
my writings
Fifty years of writing about technology and finding life’s joy and meaning
My Achievements
Four startups, 33 patents, pioneering software systems, a fundamental standard used trillions of times daily, and more
What can I do for you?
I can speak to your Group
I am eager to share my message of hope with anyone who wants to hear it. I offer a variety of presentations tailored to business, academic, religious, and non-profit organizations. I am highly available and affordable for presentations over the Internet, and am also open to in-person engagements of short to medium-term duration.
I can help your team innovate!
Despite my new career as a bringer of hope, I’m continuing a favorite older pastime: helping technology teams innovate. I love leading innovation sessions to generate new ideas, sometimes breaking through inhibitions by leading Laughter Yoga classes (I’m a trained instructor). I also help such teams turn their innovations into patents to help protect their work, and occasionally consult as an expert witness in patent cases.
Related articles
Welcome to My Journal
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› Read more: Postel’s Law: What the Internet Teaches Us About LifePostel’s Law: What the Internet Teaches Us About Life
Nathaniel Borenstein explores Postel’s Law, which advocates individual responsibility and tolerance in life, akin to protocol design. He emphasizes the…
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› Read more: IBM, the Holocaust, and MeIBM, the Holocaust, and Me
Every concentration camp had at least one IBM punch card machine, regularly serviced by IBM technicians. The company’s technology was…
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› Read more: Is AI a Savior or a Scourge? The Future We’re Actually BuildingIs AI a Savior or a Scourge? The Future We’re Actually Building
Dr. Nathaniel Borenstein’s forthcoming book, The Spirit of a Cyborg, explores the complexities of AI’s future, challenging binary views of…
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