Recent Trends in AI-related Inventions

(banner) Recent Trends in AI-related Inventions

December 2024
Patent Examination department (Electronic Technology),
Japan Patent Office

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) -related technology has shown remarkable development centering on deep learning. Accordingly, AI-related patent applications are increasing across technological fields. Additionally, there is growing attention on the impact of AI on the development of humanity, as AI researchers have received the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry. As growth of AI-related technology developments and patent applications is expected to continue in the future, the JPO researched the current status of AI-related applications in Japan and overseas, and reported the result in July 2019.

This time, the JPO updates the result based on patent applications until 2022 as follows.

Summary of the report (See body of the report for details.)

In addition to AI Core Invention (FI: G06N), we defined "AI-related Invention" as an AI-applied invention in which AI is applied to various technical fields. Since new FIs began to be assigned in January 2023, the figures may differ from those published until last fiscal year.
The number of domestic applications for AI-related Inventions has been increasing since 2014, with approximately 10,300 applications filed in 2022. The number of applications for which G06N (AI Core Technology) as FI has been allocated was approximately 3,000 in 2022, and is still on the rise, although the growth has slowed slightly (Figure 1).
In recent years, among deep learning techniques, especially generative AI such as ChatGPT has been the subject of evaluation in various tasks in academia, as well as a subject of social discussion, and its impact on future AI-related inventions is expected.
As the main classification of AI-related Inventions, G06T, G06V (Image Processing/Recognition) is the most common, other than G06N (AI Core Technology). The number of technical fields that can be grouped under "Others" is also on the rise, suggesting that the application of AI technology is expanding (Figure 2).
The number of applications for AI-related Inventions referring to CNN has been increasing since 2014. On the other hand, the number of applications for AI-related Inventions referring to deep reinforcement learning has remained flat in recent years. In addition, the number of applications for AI-related Inventions referring to transformers has been on the rise, surpassing that of deep reinforcement learning in 2020 (Figure 3).
It can be seen that the number of applications allocated with G06N (AI Core Technology) granted is on the rise in Japan, Europe, China and Korea. In particular, China is outstanding. Therefore, it can be said that China is the major application destinations among five IP offices (Figure 4).

(Figure 1) The number of domestic applications for AI-related Inventions
Figure 1 : The number of domestic applications for AI-related Inventions

(Figure 2) Composition of main classifications of AI-related Invention (with the numbers shown in 2022)
Figure 2 : Composition of main classifications of AI-related Invention
(with the numbers shown in 2022)

(Figure 3) The number of applications for AI-related Inventions referring to the specific Deep Learning methods
Figure 3 : The number of applications for AI-related Inventions
referring to the specific Deep Learning methods

(Figure 4) The number of applications allocated with IPC: G06N (AI Core Technology) (with the numbers shown in 2014 and 2021 noted)
Figure 4: The number of applications allocated with IPC: G06N (AI Core Technology)
(with the numbers shown in 2014 and 2021 noted)

Reference Information about AI-related Invention

[Last updated 6 December 2024]

Examination Research Office,
Patent Examination department (Electronic Technology),
Japan Patent Office

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