China's research institutes file more AI patents than businesses

Chinese academic institutions are more prolific patent filers in the artificial intelligence (AI) area than domestic companies, according to China's State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO). SIPO shared the statement, based on a release from China IP News, on Wednesday, August 1. The release is based on "China's AI Development Report 2018", which was recently published by Tsinghua University, in Beijing. The university's report revealed that the most prolific filers in AI tend to come from research institutions, such as universities. Unlike in other countries, industry players in China file fewer patents in the AI sphere than those in research institutions. The country's "top IT giants" such as Alibaba and Tencent are "overwhelmed" by the filings of foreign companies, such as IBM and Microsoft, SIPO said.