From idea to IP: navigating AI patents in a fast-moving field

In this Managing IP podcast, recorded in collaboration with Maiwald, leading European patent attorneys unpack what it takes to patent AI successfully in a field where technology and regulation are moving at speed.Reflecting the pace of change in this area, the EPO issued an updated preview of its AI-related guidance after the podcast was recorded, underlining how quickly examination practice continues to evolve.The following speakers from Maiwald share their insights based on deep technical and strategic experience across software, machine learning, and industrial applications:Dr Ian Weaver, partner;Dr Fabian Kiendl, counsel; Attila Kimpan, of counsel; andLutz Kietzmann, partner.They explore how the EPO approaches AI-related inventions and address the following key issues:The question of whether an AI invention is truly technical;What patent offices expect to see regarding training methods, data sources, and model structure – and why enablement can reveal hidden claim opportunities;How narratives can help open the ‘AI black box’ to guide examiners, judges, and future enforcement; andThe importance of matching filing strategies to the speed of AI innovation.Listen to the podcast for practical insights on turning AI ideas into defensible intellectual property rights.