Robot inventors are on the rise. But are they welcomed by the patent system?

Apr 20, 2018

A team of robots stand before the ball prior to the start of theirmatch during the seventh Soccer World Championship for Robots in Padua,northern Italy, July 9, 2003. Robocup is an international research andeducation initiative aimed at fostering artificial intelligence androbotics research. REUTERS/Max RossiMR/JV - RP4DRHYKRSAA

Granting patent rights to AI-created inventions may expedite innovation, enabling advances that would not have been possible through human ingenuity alone. Image: REUTERS

Kay Firth-Butterfield

Executive Director, Centre for Trustworthy Technology

Yoon Chae

Prior Fellow, World Economic Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution; Intellectual Property Associate, Baker McKenzie

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Global investment in artificial intelligence is growing rapidly Image: Sachin Chitturu et al., Artificial Intelligence and Southeast Asia’s Future, McKinsey Global Institute (2017)

Number of AI patents granted by country: 2000-2016 Image: Hidemichi Fujii and Shunsuke Managi

People overall have a positive attitude towards robotics and AI Image: Tatjana Evas, European Parliamentary Research Service

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