Top 20 Companies by Generative AI Patents in 2023

The landscape of generative AI patents reveals a striking dominance of Chinese companies, showcasing the rapid growth and active research in artificial intelligence within the country.

Generative AI or generative artificial intelligence refers to the use of AI to create new content, like text, images, music, audio, and videos.

Since overtaking the United States in AI patents in 2013, China has consistently increased its output, achieving a remarkable milestone in 2022 when it was granted more patents than every other nation combined. However, the sheer volume of patents does not necessarily equate to superior capability in AI technologies.

According to research from the Center for Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET), AI patents encompass a variety of mathematical algorithms and relationships, which are viewed as abstract concepts under patent law.

The focus of these patents varies by region: in the U.S., large corporations like IBM, Microsoft, and Google dominate the patent landscape, while in China, the distribution is more diverse, involving government entities, universities, and tech firms such as Tencent.

Examining specific patent figures for 2023, Tencent leads the way with a staggering 2,074 patents, followed by Ping An Insurance with 1,564 and Baidu with 1,234.

The top ten companies by generative AI patents are predominantly Chinese, reflecting the nation’s concentrated efforts in areas such as computer vision—an AI domain crucial for interpreting visual data. In contrast, the U.S. shows a more balanced focus across various AI research fields.

World’s top 20 companies by generative AI patents in 2023:

1.🇨🇳 Tencent: 2,074
2.🇨🇳 Ping An Insurance: 1,564
3.🇨🇳 Baidu: 1,234
4.🇺🇸 IBM: 601
5.🇨🇳 Alibaba Group: 571
6.🇰🇷 Samsung: 468
7.🇺🇸 Google: 443
8.🇨🇳 ByteDance: 418
9.🇨🇳 BBK Electronics: 377
10.🇺🇸 Microsoft: 377
11.🇨🇳…

— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) September 20, 2024