ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGIES: ANALYSIS OF PATENT TRENDS

Abstract

Based on the analysis of the Reports of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), the patent landscape in the field of AI technology was studied. The definition of AI is given, inventive and patent activity on AI technologies, companies, inventors-patent owners and geographical regions are shown, forecast estimations are given, the importance of IP in ensuring national security is emphasized. According to the study, the number of published patent applications related to AI has increased by 400% over the last decade, and the number of patent applications using AI technology filed in the United States between 2002 and 2018 has doubled. In 2020, the United States and Europe are leaders in computer technology, but growth is provided by Asia. However, the United States is the world’s leading country of origin for applications for inventions in this field. This reflects the strengths of the United States in core software technologies (operating systems, databases, cloud computing), basic AI (neural networks, deep learning, rule-based systems), three-dimensional systems, and the healthcare sector. Annual European patent applications for AI have grown tenfold over the last decade to more than 800 applications in 2020. At the same time, the contribution of American applicants to the overall submission of AI applications decreased, and the number of AI registration applications from Chinese applicants increased more than 10 times. The United States is losing its early advantage in AI innovation within the country. It is concluded that AI is one of the most important dual-use technologies, which has a multiplier effect, transforms the economy and society and promotes global digital transformation. AI is now seen as a new challenge for the economy and the legal system, a new phenomenon, a legal phenomenon in the structure of legal relations, a new object of regulation.