The State of AI Patents

AI-related patent filings have accelerated dramatically, with generative AI driving the latest wave of innovation. Understanding these trends is critical for technology companies navigating the AI patent landscape.

Key Trends

1. Generative AI Leads Growth Large language models, diffusion models, and multimodal AI systems represent the fastest-growing segment of AI patents. Companies are racing to patent both foundational architectures and specific applications.

2. Geographic Shifts China continues to lead in raw filing volume, while US patents tend to have broader claims and higher commercial impact. European filings are growing steadily, particularly in industrial AI applications.

3. Enterprise AI Applications Beyond foundational AI, patent filings for enterprise applications—document processing, customer service, decision support—are growing rapidly as companies seek to protect their AI implementations.

4. AI in Healthcare Medical AI patents covering diagnostics, drug discovery, and clinical decision support represent one of the most active sub-categories.

What This Means for IP Teams

The AI patent landscape is evolving rapidly. IP teams need: - Continuous monitoring of AI filings in their technology areas - FTO analysis before deploying AI features - Proactive filing strategies to build defensive positions - Understanding of AI patentability requirements across jurisdictions