Chinese developers have filed by far the most patents relating to GenKI applications
Chinese developers have applied for the largest number of patents related to applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenKI). According to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (Wipo) released on a Wednesday, 38,000 out of a total of 54,000 patents filed since 2014 fall into this category, accounting for 70.4% of the total. The US comes in second place with approximately 6,000 patents, followed by South Korea (around 4,000) and Japan (nearly 3,500).
According to the UN organization, the development of AI took off in 2017 and made significant progress last year. A quarter of all GenKI patents were reportedly filed in 2023. GenKI patents currently account for only about 6% of all AI-related patents, Wipo stated. However, the number of applications is increasing significantly.
"This is a booming area," said Christopher Harrison, Head of Patent Analysis at Wipo in Geneva, to journalists. GenKI refers to feeding computer programs with massive amounts of data, which can then create anything from text and videos to music and computer code in seconds in response to simple input queries. Wipo Chief Daren Tang spoke of a "groundbreaking technology".
The Chinese developer who filed one of the first GenKI patent applications in 2014 continues to innovate in this field. Recognizing the potential of GenKI patents in China, other Chinese developers have also started applying for patents in this area.
