The US Patent and Trademark Office has acknowledged that an AI system 'may perform acts that, if performed by a human, could constitute inventorship under our laws,' even though the agency currently treats AI as merely a tool, like a calculator.
Notes on verification
Exact quoted language confirmed in the official Federal Register notice (USPTO Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions, Feb 2024), corroborated by CRS report and independent legal analyses.
Sources
- MIT Technology Review (technologyreview.com)
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/13/2024-02623/inventorship-guidance-for-ai-assisted-inventions (federalregister.gov)
- https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11251 (congress.gov)
- https://www.ballardspahr.com/insights/alerts-and-articles/2024/02/uspto-guidance-human-contribution-is-key-to-patent-eligibility (ballardspahr.com)