China-based inventors dominate generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) patents, significantly outpacing the US, Republic of Korea, Japan, and India. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) report, 54,000 GenAI inventions were documented from 2014 to 2023, with over 25% emerging in the last year alone. GenAI, which allows content creation such as text, images, music, and code, is rapidly transforming various industries.
Rapid Growth in GenAI Patents
China-based inventors are filing the highest number of generative artificial intelligence patents, a new WIPO report shows: https://t.co/DFetXEFPFl.
The WIPO Patent Landscape Report on Generative AI documents 54,000 #GenAI inventions in the decade through 2023.
— World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (@WIPO) July 4, 2024
The report highlights that China has filed over 38,000 GenAI patents in the past decade, six times more than the US. India saw the highest average annual growth rate among the top five leaders, at 56%. This rapid increase underscores the technological advancements and potential applications of GenAI across sectors like life sciences, manufacturing, transportation, security, and telecommunications.
“GenAI has emerged as a game-changing technology with the potential to transform the way we work, live and play,” said WIPODirector GeneralDaren Tang. He emphasised that understanding patenting trends can help policymakers shape the development of GenAI for societal benefit while ensuring human-centric innovation.
Top GenAI Patent Holders
Chinese tech giants Tencent, Ping An Insurance, and Baidu lead the list of GenAI patent holders, followed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and IBM. Other notable companies include Alibaba, Samsung Electronics, Alphabet, ByteDance, and Microsoft. These organisations represent the forefront of GenAI innovation, with a substantial number of patents filed in image, video, text, speech, and music data.
The geographical distribution of GenAI patents reveals China’s dominance with 38,210 inventions, followed by the US (6,276), the Republic of Korea (4,155), Japan (3,409), and India (1,350). The growth in GenAI patents using molecule, gene, and protein-based data indicates a significant expansion in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Implications of Patent Quantity
Van Anh Le, an assistant professor of intellectual property law at Durham University, cautions against equating the number of patents with innovation quality. She notes that many patents may represent incremental improvements rather than groundbreaking advancements. Additionally, the strategic use of patents for defensive purposes or to signal technological prowess complicates the picture.
Generative AI currently accounts for 6% of global AI patents, with a rapid acceleration in filings. WIPO forecasts that GenAI will continue to drive innovation in diverse sectors, from drug development and customer service chatbots to product design and autonomous driving. The report suggests that monitoring breakthrough technologies and successful commercial applications will be crucial for understanding the full impact of GenAI.
Conclusion
While China’s lead in GenAI patents is evident, the broader implications of these innovations will depend on their quality, impact, and commercialisation. As GenAI technology evolves, its potential to reshape various industries and society at large will become increasingly apparent. Policymakers and innovators must continue to navigate this complex landscape to harness the benefits of GenAI while ensuring ethical and human-centric development.
