Google leads in the number of patents in the field of artificial intelligence

Google has overtaken IBM to become the leader in the number of patent applications in the field of generative artificial intelligence and agent-based AI, Axios reports, citing data from IFI Claims.

In recent months, the number of patent applications related to generative AI in the United States has increased by more than 50%. This indicates active research and development of new technologies.

Google and NVIDIA lead the list of patents for agent-based AI in the US , followed by IBM, Intel, and Microsoft. The global ranking is led by the same Google and NVIDIA, and three Chinese universities are in the top 10, highlighting the competition between the US and China in this field.

The leaders in generative AI patent applications in the US are Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA , Capital One, Samsung, Adobe, Intel, and Qualcomm. Interestingly, Meta and OpenAI did not make the top 10, as Meta focuses on open source, while OpenAI states its intention to use patents only for protection.

In the 14 months from February 2024 to April 2025, the number of U.S. patent applications related to generative AI increased by 56%, while the number of patents granted increased by 32%. Generative AI accounts for 17% of U.S. AI patent applications, while agent-based AI accounts for 7%.