The Inventor Is the Human Not the AI Machine, U.K. Court Rules

The humans who pave the way for an invention to be created through artificial intelligence are the inventors for patent purposes -- not the machine that’s running the AI, a U.K. court ruled Tuesday.

The 2-1 ruling is a blow to the Artificial Intelligence Project, a group run by University of Surrey Law Professor Ryan Abbott that’s launched a global effort to get a computer listed as an inventor. The setback follows a similar decision from a U.S. court earlier this month, though the project has won key decisions in South Africa and Australia.

Imagination Engines Inc. founder Stephen ...