Credit: xiaoliangge/stock.adobe.com South Africa Granted the World's First Patent to an AI-Generated Invention. What Jurisdiction is Next?
The pioneering move underlined the question of whether artificial intelligence can be an inventor. What could the decision mean for other jurisdictions?
August 19, 2021 at 09:25 AM
3 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.com International
In July, South Africa granted a patent to an invention created by an artificial intelligence (AI) system, rather than a human being.
It was a world's first in an industry that has been hostile to robo-inventors. For example, in 2020 in the U.S. an AI system was refused the right to two patents, with the ruling judge saying only "natural persons" could be inventors.
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