A recent World Intellectual Property Organization report found that generative artificial intelligence patenting grew significantly in 2024 and 2025, with more than 56,000 new patent families published during that period. This exceeds the total from the previous decade. Patent publications increased from approximately 18,900 in 2024 to more than 37,800 in 2025, and generative AI’s share of all AI patents rose to 8.7%. The report noted growing adoption of generative AI across industries including healthcare, manufacturing, finance, energy, utilities, telecommunications, and industrial manufacturing, with software, coding, 3D image modeling, and life sciences among the fastest-growing application areas.
Speaking to MLex, Finnegan partner and co-leader of the AI practice Frank DeCosta said no single country will be able to dominate the AI industry.
“There's not going to be a national monopoly on the technology. A lot of our clients are wringing their hands over the trade secret versus patent issue,” he said. “There isn't going to be a report that says how many people made the trade secret choice. Maybe that's going up even faster than the patent publication rate.”
Read “AI Patent Surge Signals Broader Global and Industrial Reach”
