China Dominates Generative AI Patent Requests, U.N. Agency Reports

China Leads in Generative AI Patents, WIPO Report Shows

GENEVA — China has emerged as the global leader in generative AI patents, according to a new report from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The report reveals that China has requested far more patents in generative AI than any other country, with the United States coming in a distant second.

Generative AI technology has the potential to revolutionize industries by boosting efficiency and speeding up scientific discoveries. However, it also raises concerns about potential job displacement and the ethical use of AI-generated content.

The WIPO report highlights that about 54,000 inventions in the past decade were linked to generative AI, with more than a quarter of those inventions emerging just last year. This rapid growth and interest in the technology since 2022 have propelled generative AI into the public consciousness.

The report focuses solely on generative AI and excludes broader artificial intelligence technologies like facial recognition and autonomous driving. WIPO Director-General Daren Tang emphasized the importance of tracking patent applications to understand trends in artificial intelligence development.

Over the past decade, China has filed over 38,200 generative AI patents, six times more than the United States. South Korea, Japan, and India also made significant contributions to generative AI inventions.

GenAI technology enables users to create text, images, music, and computer code using tools like ChatGPT from OpenAI, Google Gemini, and Baidu’s Ernie. Industries such as life sciences, manufacturing, transportation, security, and telecommunications have already adopted generative AI.

Critics express concerns about the potential impact of GenAI on job displacement and fair compensation for human-generated content. WIPO officials caution that the quantity of patents does not necessarily indicate the quality or market value of the inventions.

While the U.S. and China are often viewed as rivals in AI development, U.S. tech companies are leading in creating cutting-edge AI systems. However, the report suggests that the U.S. is ahead in releasing the best AI models, while China excels in industrial robotics.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, WIPO and experts like Nestor Maslej from Stanford University stress the importance of monitoring developments over time to assess the impact of generative AI on society.

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