From Liu Hua
The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 and the release of the first text-generated video model Sora last month symbolize key advancements in frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, big data, metaverse and Web 3.0. These advancements are catalyzing a new scientific and technological revolution, transforming every aspect of human life.
The World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index 2022 identifies two primary innovation waves shaping the future: a “digital age wave” propelled by supercomputing, AI and automation; and a “deep science wave” driven by advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and new materials. The convergence of these waves promises to redefine innovation across industries.
According to the WIPO’s World IP Report 2022, there has been 172 percent growth in digital innovations from 2016-20, with AI, big data and cloud computing leading this surge. Three critical trends underscore the evolving landscape of global innovation.
The first is the eastward shift of innovation hubs. Asia now accounts for 70 percent of global IP applications, up from 50 percent two decades ago, with East Asia being host to six of the top 10 science and technology clusters. This shift reflects the leading global position of Asia in the advancement of technology.
The second is collaborative exchange of innovation. The top science and technology clusters are deepening collaboration, particularly in patent applications and research publications, highlighting the importance of openness and cooperation in the innovation process.
The third trend is of enterprise-led innovation. Enterprises are spearheading the advancement in technologies, with companies like Mitsubishi Electric, Sony, BOE, Baidu, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo and ZTE leading the charge in their respective clusters, reflecting the pivotal role of enterprises in the innovation ecosystem.
Frontier technologies such as AI and the metaverse highlight the growing importance of and challenges facing IP in fostering growth and development. The challenges include safeguarding AI algorithms, establishing patent and copyrights criteria for AI innovations and AI-generated content, and integrating virtual and real-world assets’ intellectual property rights (IPR). The evolving digital landscape calls for an adaptable IPR system that would promote innovation in a way that benefits all stakeholders, including small and medium-sized enterprises, women and youths.
The WIPO has been at the forefront of addressing these issues through its WIPO Conversation on IP and Frontier Technologies series. Since 2019, eight sessions have convened global experts from among stakeholders at all levels.
A particularly impactful session was the eighth, dedicated to generative AI and IP, attracting more than 5,000 participants from 162 countries to discuss the implications of AI on IP policy and regulation.
The upcoming ninth session, themed “Training the Machines-Bytes, Rights, and the Copyright Conundrum”, scheduled for March 13-14, will focus on the critical role of training data in AI development, addressing quality, bias and accessibility issues. The session aims to foster a deeper understanding of training data’s influence on the IP ecosystem, inviting a wide range of participants to contribute to the future of AI and creative industries.
China has made remarkable achievements in digital frontier technologies like AI, 5G and cloud computing, becoming a leader in innovation. China’s information and communications technology (ICT) patents comprise 14 percent of the global total. By the end of 2023, the most rapidly growing sectors in China’s domestic patent registrations were IT methods for management, computer technology and basic communication processes, with year-on-year increases of 59.4 percent, 39.3 percent and 30.8 percent respectively. This growth underscores China’s robust innovations in digital technology, significantly contributing to the digital economy’s high-quality development, which now exceeds 50 trillion yuan ($6.94 trillion) and accounts for more than 40 percent of its GDP. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
