ANALYSIS: Key Patent Trends and Priority Shifts in AI Inventions (1)

Artificial intelligence is one of the most important technologies of this era, standing to represent the next “general-purpose” technology like electricity. As AI technology advances rapidly, AI patent activity is experiencing accelerated growth and broad diffusion across industries. A novel Artificial Intelligence Patent Dataset (AIPD), released in July by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, identified AI in more than 13.2 million U.S. patents and pre-grant publications, citing an increase of annual AI patent applications by more than double from 2002 to 2018. This surge in AI patenting activity is expected to continue in 2022.

AI technology ...