When silicon tallies and humans decide in IP

With AI on the rise, what challenges are clients facing in patents?

One of the biggest shifts I have seen recently is the change in mindset around AI. Half a decade ago, many in the IP community were cautious, questioning whether AI could be trusted to deliver the same depth and accuracy as a human expert. Today, the situation has flipped. AI is no longer viewed as experimental. It has become a baseline expectation, and that brings new challenges. Clients are no longer asking whether AI should be part of their IP management tools, but how and where it should be applied. This is not a trivial question, because not every process benefits equally from AI. In some cases, a well-designed rule engine or automated workflow delivers better outcomes than machine learning. The pressing challenge is therefore one of discernment: deciding when AI is the right tool, when automation alone is sufficient and how both can be integrated coherently to reduce manual work, support decision-making and ultimately advance stronger IP strategies.

How is AI changing prior art, FTO and portfolio reviews?

AI has had a particularly marked impact on the more research-intensive areas of IP management, such as prior art searches, freedom-to-operate analyses and competitor portfolio reviews. These activities have always required sifting through vast amounts of technical and legal information, a process that is both time-consuming and prone to human bottlenecks. With AI, much of that heavy lifting can be accelerated. For example, AI-powered search tools can surface potentially relevant prior art more quickly, sometimes identifying documents that might have been overlooked through traditional keyword-based methods. Similarly, portfolio assessments can now draw on AI to highlight trends across competitors' filings, giving clients a clearer picture of technology landscapes and emerging risks. What has changed most is not only how these services are delivered but also how they are expected. Clients increasingly assume that advanced analytics and AI-driven insights will be embedded in the process. The difficulties and opportunities lie in combining these AI capabilities with expert human judgment, ensuring the results are faster, reliable and strategically meaningful.

How have your solutions helped clients make better IP decisions?

Traditionally, running a patent landscape analysis required significant time and deep technical expertise, for example, building complex Boolean queries and navigating IPC or CPC codes. Over the years, more advanced approaches such as semantic search have helped reduce that burden by matching inventions against large databases using machine learning models. Today, AI is taking this a step further. For instance, our patent search and analysis software Octimine now offers an AI assistant that allows users to interact with the patent system in a more conversational way, guiding them through searches and even helping interpret the results. This evolution means that valuable insights, such as where competitors are most active, which technologies are emerging or where gaps might exist, can now be surfaced more quickly and with less manual effort. But the real impact goes beyond the search itself. Insights from our landscape analyses or competitor portfolio assessments become even more strategically useful when they are embedded into broader IP management processes. That is where an IP Management System like our DIAMS platform becomes essential: connecting decision-making workflows, portfolio planning and resource allocation. In this way, our technology not only enhances the analysis but also helps organizations translate those insights into concrete, better-informed IP strategies.

What AI-driven trends should IP professionals be preparing for in the next two to three years?

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how AI transforms the way professionals interact with their IP Management Systems. Rather than relying on highly technical expertise or navigating complex menus, users will increasingly expect more intuitive, conversational tools. This can make everyday tasks, from querying a portfolio to setting up workflows, more accessible even for those without deep technical backgrounds. Another important trend is the simplification of process automation. Traditionally, defining workflows to manage deadlines, reminders and document generation has required specialist knowledge. AI has the potential to lower that barrier, enabling teams to design and adapt processes in a way that better reflects how they actually work. Finally, AI will support greater transparency and reasoning capabilities. Whether it is understanding how a deadline was calculated or analyzing portfolio strengths and gaps, professionals will have more insight at their fingertips, heightening awareness when making strategic decisions.

What are you most looking forward to coming out of Future IP UK?

Future IP UK is an opportunity to connect with peers across the industry and hear how organizations are adapting to the rapid changes shaping the IP landscape. It is always inspiring to see how ideas about automation, AI and portfolio strategy are evolving, and how professionals are finding new ways to make IP a driver of business value. For us, the key message is simple: We are a partner for both today and tomorrow. With decades of experience serving the global IP community, we have built a reputation for reliability and expertise. At the same time, we are investing heavily in the future, developing solutions that make IP management more intuitive, more transparent and more strategic. Our role is to help clients cut through complexity, harness innovation responsibly and turn their IP portfolios into a real competitive advantage.

Editor's note: This interview has been edited for context.