China has significantly strengthened its lead over the United States in AI patent filings, according to Bloomberg, citing World Intellectual Property Organisation data.
In 2022, Chinese enterprises and institutes registered for 29,853 AI-related patents, up from 29,000 the previous year. The result is approximately 80% more than US files, which totaled 16,805 during the same period, representing a 5.5% year-on-year reduction in the country’s applications.
Japan and South Korea rounded out the top three in 2022, with 8,870 and 7,899 AI patent applications, respectively.
China accounted for more than 40% of global AI applications during the last year, according to the data.
Chinese companies have substantially boosted investments in AI and quantum computing after President Xi Jinping urged the nation to accelerate fundamental scientific research. Beijing is aiming to increase self-reliance in crucial areas, including chipmaking, space exploration, and military sciences.
The steps were taken in response to Washington’s most recent efforts to limit China’s access to breakthrough technologies.
Baidu, a Chinese multinational technology corporation, is now competing with digital behemoths such as Alibaba Group and Tencent, as well as tiny startups like as Baichuan and Zhipu, to develop a local solution to US rival OpenAI’s revolutionary generative AI chatbot ChatGPT.
Chinese technology giants like Huawei Technologies have already built a track record of leading innovation in networking, supercomputing, and image recognition.
Since 2017, when Chinese companies employed algorithms across a wide range of enterprises, from online retail to ride-hailing, the Asian nation has eclipsed the US in the number of AI filings.
