Generative AI Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
Generative AI patents: mapping filings, leaders and open claim space
Filings grew 467% from 2021 to 2024, peaking at 6,361 records in 2024 before the expected 18-month publication lag pulls the two most recent years down artificially. Annual filings rose from 288 in 2017 to a peak of 6,361 in 2024, with the +467% jump between 2021 and 2024 marking the period generative model claims moved from a niche filing category into mainstream patent strategy. The 2025-2026 figures (488 in the partial latest year) are undercounts caused by publication lag, not a genuine drop in activity.
- 1MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC5.0%
- 2GOOGLE LLC3.9%
- 3NVIDIA CORP3.8%
- 4ADOBE INC1.9%
- 5INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION1.7%
See the full generative ai patent landscape analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions about the generative AI patent landscape
How many generative AI patents have been filed?
This dataset covers 29,906 published records matching generative model and training-data claim language, filed between 2015 and the 2026-08-31 data cut-off. Annual filings grew from 288 in 2017 to a peak of 6,361 in 2024, a 467% increase between 2021 and 2024 alone. The 2025 and 2026 counts appear lower only because publication typically lags filing by about 18 months, so those years are still filling in.
Who holds the most generative AI patents?
The dataset’s ranked leader holds 1,495 records, with the fifth-placed assignee at 518 and the tenth at 299 — a gradual decline rather than a sharp cliff. Even combined, the top 10 assignees account for only 22.8% of all 29,906 records in scope, so the field is not controlled by a small handful of companies. Most filing activity sits in a long tail of assignees with smaller, more specialised portfolios.
Which technology areas see the most generative AI patent activity?
General digital data processing (IPC class G06F) and AI-specific computing (G06N) lead, covering 26.9% and 23.9% of the 29,906 records respectively. Image data processing and recognition (G06T and G06V) follow at 12.8% and 9.4%. Because a single record can carry multiple IPC classes, these shares add up to more than 100%, and they reflect claim breadth rather than a ranking of importance.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Generative AI Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.