Recent Trends in AI-related Inventions

(banner) Recent Trends in AI-related Inventions

March 2026
Examination Research Office,
Patent Examination Department (Electronic Technology),
Japan Patent Office

In recent years, technologies related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning, have seen remarkable advancements, and AI-related patent applications have been increasing across various technical fields.

Furthermore, as AI researchers have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, growing attention has been drawn to the impact that AI has on the advancement of humanity.

Since 2022 in particular, technologies and services related to generative AI have been developing rapidly. The introduction of generative AI has expanded across diverse sectors—business, education, healthcare, and government administration, and more— bringing significant transformation to society.

Given the anticipated continued surge in AI-related technological development and patent applications, the Japan Patent Office has been conducting surveys to clarify the current state of AI-related patent filings both in Japan and abroad, and has been publishing the survey results since July 2019.

Based on application data through 2023, we have now updated the survey results and hereby report our findings below.

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In addition to inventions characterized by AI technologies themselves (“AI Core Inventions” (*)), we have defined inventions that apply AI to various technical fields as “AI-related inventions”, and included them within the scope of this survey.

* AI Core Inventions: Patent applications assigned the FI G06N (“Computing apparatus based on specific computational models”), excluding G06N10 (quantum computing).

Figure 1 (Trends in Patent Applications for AI-related inventions) shows that the number of patent applications for AI-related inventions has increased significantly. The number of patent applications for AI-related inventions (pink bars) has grown rapidly since 2014, reaching approximately 11,400 in 2023.
Patent applications for AI Core Inventions (yellow bars) also increased; however, in recent years, the number has remained flat, with approximately 2,400 applications in 2023.

Figure 1. Trends in Patent Applications for AI-Related Inventions

Figure 2 (Trends in the Composition of Main Classifications (*) for AI-related inventions) shows that the number of patent applications for AI-related inventions increased from 2014 to 2022.
In particular, patent applications assigned to main classifications such as AI Core Technologies (G06N) and image processing/image recognition (G06T/G06V) exhibited a pronounced upward trend, indicating the application areas of AI technologies have been expanding.
From 2022 to 2023, a notable increase was observed in patent applications adapted for the business-oriented information and communication technology classification (G06Q). This trend is considered to be attributable to the rapid development of technologies and services related to generative AI.

※The main classification refers to the patent classification that most appropriately represents the invention.

Figure 2. Trends in the Number of Patent Applications for AI-Related Inventions by Main Classification

Figure 3 (Trends in the Number of Patent Applications for AI-related inventions Referring to Particularly Important Deep Learning Technologies) shows that the number of patent applications for “AI-related inventions referring to CNN” and “AI-related inventions referring to RNN or LSTM” increased up to 2021 but have since begun to decline.
In contrast, the number of patent applications for “AI-related inventions referring to transformers” has continued to increase.

Figure 3. Trends in Patent Applications for AI-Related Inventions Referring to Particularly Important Deep Learning Techniques

※As the “transformer” technology was first presented in a research paper in 2017, application data prior to 2017 is likely to contain noise.

Figure 4 (Trend in Patent Applications for AI Core Inventions by Country/Region) shows that the number of patent applications for "AI Core Inventions" filed in China (1,226 applications) in 2014 was less than half those filed in the United States (2,733 applications).
Subsequently, the number of applications filed in China increased rapidly, and by 2023, the number had reached 101,459—more than five times the number filed in the United States (19,336).

Figure 4. Trend in Patent Applications for AI Core Inventions by Country/Region
(Figures for 2014 Are Shown in Black, and Figures for 2023 Are Shown in Red)

Notes

Country codes shown in the figure indicate the following: JP: Japan, US: United States, EP: Europe (EPO), CN: China, KR: South Korea, WO: PCT international applications (regardless of applicant nationality).

Figure 5 (Balance of Patent Applications for AI Core Inventions among Japan, the United States, Europe, China, and Korea) shows that, with respect to the number of patent applications for AI Core Inventions filed from 2014 to 2023, applications filed in Japan were most frequently filed by applicants of Japanese nationality, followed by U.S. and Chinese nationality.
In China, 91.3% of patent applications were filed by applicants of Chinese nationality.

Figure 5. Balance of Patent Applications for AI Core Inventions among Japan, the United States, Europe, China, and Korea (Application Year: 2014–2023)

Reference Information on AI-Related Inventions

[Last updated 30 March 2026]

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

E-mail:PA5Y00@jpo.go.jp

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