A recent study by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has revealed that China is leading the world in the number of international patent applications for innovations using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). The report shows that over 38,000 GenAI patents were filed in China between 2014 and 2023, compared to just 6,276 in the United States. South Korea, Japan, and India also filed a significant number of patents.
The development of GenAI has been rapid since its discovery at the end of 2022. These computer programs are fed and trained by billions of data points, allowing them to create text, video, music, and code in just seconds. Although GenAI patents represent only a small percentage of all AI patents globally, their number is growing rapidly.
Chinese companies like Tencent and Ping An Insurance have been at the forefront of this innovation. IBM is the top-ranking American company in this field. WIPO notes that most patents are for image-related inventions, but sectors like molecules, proteins, and genes are also growing rapidly.
The use of GenAI is driving the development of new industrial and consumer products such as chatbots and molecular design for drug development. However, WIPO Director General Daren Tang emphasized the importance of keeping humans at the center of the innovation ecosystem with such revolutionary technology. Tang acknowledged potential dangers such as job losses and intellectual property infringements and stressed the need for balance to ensure human creativity is not undermined. The report provides insight into current trends and future projections in the field of generative artificial intelligence.
In conclusion, China’s lead in international patent applications for innovations using generative artificial intelligence highlights its continued dominance in this field. With rapid growth worldwide, this technology is driving new product development across various industries while posing potential challenges that must be addressed carefully to ensure human creativity remains intact.
