China Widens Lead Over US in AI Patents After Beijing Tech Drive
- Patent filings from China almost doubles the sum of US in 2022
- Top players like Baidu, Alibaba race to monetize AI products
China is increasing its lead over the US in AI patent filings, underscoring the Asian nation’s determination to shape and influence a technology that could have broad implications for the world’s richest economies.
Chinese institutions applied for 29,853 AI-related patents in 2022, climbing from 29,000 the year prior, according to data that the World Intellectual Property Organization provided to Bloomberg News. That’s almost 80% more than US filings, which shrank 5.5%. Overall, China accounted for more than 40% of global AI applications over the past year, the data from the United Nations-affiliated agency showed. Japan and South Korea rounded out the 2022 leaders, with a combined 16,700 applications.