The Supreme Court in Britain has announced that an AI system cannot be recognized as the inventor of a patent, stating that machines do not hold the same legal status as humans.

The highest court in the United Kingdom ruled that, according to current legislation, only individuals may apply for patents as inventors.

After a lengthy legal battle in Britain, American technologist Stephen Thaler’s AI, known as DABUS, was finally recognized as the inventor of two patents.

Thaler argues that DABUS independently developed a container for food and drinks and a light beacon, and he believes he deserves ownership of these inventions. However, both American and European Union tribunals have previously denied Thaler’s similar requests.

In 2019, the U.K. Intellectual Property Office denied Thaler’s request to register DABUS as the inventor due to its lack of legal personhood. Following rulings in favor of the patent office, Thaler brought his appeal to the Supreme Court, where a group of judges unanimously rejected the case.

The DABUS was determined by the judges to not be a person, and therefore did not create any significant invention.

According to legal experts, this case highlights the fact that British laws have not kept pace with technology. They suggest that policies should be revised in light of the impressive advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly with the emergence of generative AI systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. These systems have the ability to quickly generate new poems, songs, and computer code.

Nick White, a partner at the law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, stated that as AI technology progresses, it is clear that these systems have the potential to create novel and unexpected products and processes without much or potentially any ongoing human involvement.

He stated that change may be approaching, but it is expected to originate from policymakers rather than judges.

Source: wral.com