Technology and trust: Does AI have a role to play in the IP lifecycle?

When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it reached 1 million users in just five days. By January 2024, it had 1.6 billion users. This record-breaking explosion has brought a lot of attention to the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) – which companies have been quick to harness. Across industries, businesses are leveraging AI to provide customer service chatbots, optimize supply chains, create content at scale – and so much more.

 

The legal sector is no exception, using AI to automate routine tasks such as document template creation and basic research. Professionals in many legal fields, including intellectual property (IP), are cautiously optimistic about AI’s remarkable potential – but they are also wary. Like any tool, AI can backfire if used improperly. The now-famous cautionary tale of the lawyer who cited six cases in court, only to discover that they were entirely made up by ChatGPT, is a sobering reminder that the risks are as alarming as the benefits are exciting.

 

Regardless of such extreme incidents, one thing is clear: AI is no passing fad. Despite its shortcomings, it remains an incredibly powerful tool – and it will only continue to improve. So what role does AI have to play in an industry such as intellectual property, where small mistakes come at a big cost?

While AI is the latest innovation to promise game-changing results, using technology to facilitate the IP lifecycle is nothing new. At RWS, we’ve been developing and leveraging a wide variety of technologies for years to increase efficiency and quality in our IP services.

 

This includes sophisticated data management systems to maintain the integrity and accessibility of IP portfolios, ensuring that you can efficiently protect, manage and monetize your intellectual property in a complex global environment.

 

We provide cutting-edge platforms to search over 175 million patent documents, to deliver market and competitive intelligence, and to turn weeks-long foreign filing processes into the work of a few clicks.

 

Our patent translation services incorporate computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools to create an augmented translation workflow. CAT tools enable us to apply linguistic assets such as your termbases, to maintain consistent and accurate terminology, and your translation memories, to ensure you never have to pay to translate the same sentence twice.

There’s no room for error in a field like intellectual property – and AI, as a developing technology, can be vulnerable to error when used without proper due diligence. But despite its limitations, there are still ways in which we are able to harness AI to improve aspects of IP management today.

 

AI can significantly enhance IP research. It has become a primary patent search tool that our analysts can leverage to complement the traditional methods they also use. By incorporating machine learning algorithms into patent searches and analysis, we enhance the accuracy and speed of these processes. AI offers comprehensive searches across vast global databases, facilitating the identification of relevant patents and prior art with unmatched speed and efficiency, thereby supporting strategic IP decision-making. We maintain strict confidentiality of your information by keeping search activities separate from algorithm training: algorithms are pre-trained and updated in the background, and search queries are never used as training data.

 

AI-powered translation can provide instant access to global information. While raw MT cannot be used in patent translation for the purpose of foreign filing – in which even one wrong word can lead to loss of patent protection – it still has its place. When used purely for information purposes, it breaks down language barriers and reduces costs and time. It can swiftly translate patents, legal documents and research from various languages, enabling efficient preliminary searches and analysis across jurisdictions.

 

For maximum efficiency and ease of use, we integrate our neural machine translation engine with our patent database, providing a seamless translation experience within the search platform.

Although a good, AI-powered machine translation engine has the potential to offer remarkable efficiency, it falls short in understanding context, nuance, and the intricate details specific to subject matter. A patent translation for filing purposes must at the very least be created through a combination of human linguistic expertise and machine translation, to avoid any costly surprises later down the line.

 

Similarly, while an AI can accelerate the process of a patent search, it cannot comprehend, analyze and draw conclusions from the results the way a human expert in the subject matter can. AI may gather the data to inform decision-making, but humans must still make the decisions. This collaboration between artificial and human intelligence – or what we call ‘Genuine Intelligence’ – leverages the best of both worlds to provide the most effective outcome possible.

 

At RWS, we work with over 7,000 human translators, who bring expert knowledge and understanding to every translation task. They combine linguistic skill in both the target and the source language with deep subject-matter knowledge; many hold PhDs and master’s degrees. Our network of over 40,000 researchers covers a vast array of specialisms and languages, and compete to provide the best results. This specialist knowledge ensures that your valuable IP assets are handled with the utmost precision and care.

AI use – and misuse – is rising steadily in all sectors, and it can be hard to evaluate when it is and isn’t the right tool for the job. At RWS, we’re well placed to make that call thanks to our years of experience developing and using AI technology. But, most importantly, we will always consult with you to find the best solution for your needs, risk level and budget. The control over your intellectual property remains firmly in your hands. We prioritize open, consultative communication, keeping you fully informed about your options and involved in every decision. Our experts are dedicated to balancing technological advancements with the irreplaceable human touch. Even with the ever-increasing pace of progress, the human-first approach is still the best.

 

With over 60 years of experience and a vast network of translators and patent agents, we are a world-leading, trusted provider of IP services. To learn more about how we can enhance your IP strategy with our high-quality services and intelligent use of cutting-edge technology, explore our comprehensive range of IP solutions.