ARTICLE · 10 FEBRUARY 2022

Protecting And Rewarding Inventions Devised By Artificial Intelligence: UK IPO Calls For Views

Keltie LLP

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The consultation describes how AI has and can play a positive role in the development of innovation and new technology.

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Mark Richardson

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The consultation describes how AI has and can play a positive role in the development of innovation and new technology. It also acknowledges that AI will be capable in the future of inventing and creating things that have no discernible input from humans. When this happens, and some feel it has happened already, an IP system needs to be in place that strikes a balance between protecting the human benefit of the invention while also supporting AI-led technical innovation and artistic creativity.

Background

The UK Government previously called for views on AI and IP in September 2020, releasing a follow-up response in March 2021 to the 92 contributions that were lodged. In that response, the Government acknowledged that there were mixed views on whether AI could be considered an inventor. There were many respondents who were both for and against a change in inventorship criteria. Some felt that all inventions would need human input at some point and couldn't be

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