China records sharp increase in AI patents, outpacing global growth
China’s progress in artificial intelligence innovation is evident through its soaring patent numbers. Ge Shu of the China Intellectual Property Administration (CIPA) pointed out that the country has seen a sharp increase in the number of AI-related invention patents at a press conference in Beijing.
By the end of 2023, China had 378,000 valid AI-related invention patents, an annual increase rate of more than 40%. This growth rate is about 1.4 times the global average, which shows the rapid development of China’s AI technology.
Foreign innovators flock to China’s digital economy
Ge Shu also stressed that domestic enterprises are also engaged in the digital economy, accounting for 155,000. This figure has risen by 31,000 as compared to the previous year, which implies that the levels of creativity and innovation are on the rise in the field of AI.
China’s appeal extends to international innovators as well. By December 2023, China had active patents from 93 countries and regions, of which 61.8% were in digital product manufacturing.
China’s core digital economy sectors received a total of 406,000 invention patents in 2023. These patents constituted 45% of all the invention patents that were issued across the country. In the last five years, the average annual growth rate of patents in these sectors has been 21%.
This growth indicates that China’s digital economy is among the fastest and still rapidly expanding globally. Last year, the digital economy’s core industries contributed 10% of the GDP.
Chinese intellectual property protection builds foreign confidence
According to recent statistics, foreign investments in China have increased. Data released showed that by the end of June, the number of valid foreign invention patents and registered trademarks in the country was 919,000 and 2.13 million, respectively, which is 3.9% and 3.8% higher compared with the previous year.
According to Ge Shu, the CIPA’s initiatives include putting in place frequent communication with foreign enterprises to identify and respond to their concerns. This initiative was designed to increase security and thus the attractiveness of China as an investment haven.
A recent survey conducted in the past few months shows that China leads the world in the use of generative AI. A survey carried out by the U.S.-based AI and analytics software company SAS, together with Coleman Parkes Research, revealed that 83% of Chinese top managers in various sectors stated they use generative AI. That was higher than the 16 other countries and regions in the survey, including the United States, where 65% of respondents said they had adopted GenAI.
