According to data released by the United Nations on 3 July, China is far ahead of other countries in the number of patent applications related to generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) from 2014 to 2023. Generative AI, which generates text, images, computer code, and even music from existing information, has exploded with more than 50,000 patent applications filed in the past decade, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 25% of these applications were filed in 2023. In addition, Chinese patent applications cover a wide range of fields, from autonomous driving to publishing and document management.

The US ranked second with 6,276 applications, South Korea third with 4,155, and Japan fourth with 3,409, while India, which came fifth with 1,350 applications, had the highest growth rate in the top five countries with an average annual growth rate of 56%. Top applicants included China's ByteDance, which owns the video app TikTok, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, and Microsoft, backers of start-up OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT. Chatbots, with their ability to mimic human conversation, are already widely used by retailers and others to improve customer service, but GenAI has the potential to transform many other economic sectors, including science, publishing, transport, and security, WIPO's Harrison noted.

WIPO's Harrison also pointed out that patent data could have a significant impact on many different industry sectors in the future and highlighted areas of science where molecules created by GenAI could facilitate drug development. WIPO expects to see a further wave of patent filings in the near future and will probably use GenAI to publish an updated version of the data showing this trend.

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Liliana ZHANG, S&O IP China, Patent Attorney