Blueshift IP co-founder and patent software expert Robert Plotkin recently authored an article for IPWatchdog about artificial intelligence’s potential to impact patent law’s nonobviousness requirement.

“Has the widespread adoption of AI tools fundamentally changed what constitutes ‘ordinary skill’…?,” Robert posits in the article. “This question resonates across the innovation landscape, as AI tools become standard equipment in research and development, revolutionizing how inventors approach problems and effectively raising the baseline capabilities of skilled practitioners. Patent law must adapt to this new reality, particularly in its concept of a ‘person having ordinary skill in the art’ (PHOSITA) – the cornerstone of patent law’s nonobviousness requirement.”

The piece goes on to explore how existing legal frameworks can adapt to accommodate the consideration of AI capabilities in assessing ordinary skill while also acknowledging challenges in implementing such changes, such as variation in access to AI tools among inventors.

Robert goes on to emphasize how the nonobviousness analysis should continue to prioritize the human element of inventorship, including human creativity, and how adjusting the PHOSITA standard to include AI capabilities should be balanced to ensure that the patent system remains accessible to inventors regardless of their resources.

He concludes by iterating that the integration of AI into patent law’s nonobviousness analysis is an ongoing process that requires careful consideration to uphold the patent system’s purpose of promoting innovation while adapting to technological advancements.

You can read “AI and the Level of Ordinary Skill: Why Patent Law Must (and Can) Adapt to AI-Augmented Invention” here.

 

The post Robert Plotkin Authors Article on AI’s Potential to Impact ‘Obviousness’ first appeared on Blueshift IP.

Photo of Robert Plotkin Robert Plotkin
Founding Partner @Blueshift IP
Attorney Robert Plotkin has been a leader in obtaining software patents for two decades, and consistently obtains software patents for clients even after the Alice Supreme court decision stopped most companies from obtaining software patents. He uses his decades
Founding Partner @Blueshift IP
Attorney Robert Plotkin has been a leader in obtaining software patents for two decades, and consistently obtains software patents for clients even after the Alice Supreme court decision stopped most companies from obtaining software patents. He uses his decades of legal and engineering experience to maximize the value of his clients’ patent portfolios – allowing them to realize the largest return on investment even in the post-Alice world. His clients have profitably sold and licensed the software patents he has obtained for them to major corporations worldwide.