Artificial Intelligence Trends Based on the Patents Granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office

This paper analyzes artificial intelligence (AI)-related patents that were granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) between January 2008 and December 2018. The study used both the USPTO patent classification systems and a keyword-based search to obtain AI-related patent information. By considering the AI-related patents, growth in AI-related research and development (R&D) activities, as well as AI trends during the period, are investigated. The leading countries and companies in AI and widely used techniques and applications of AI in each region are identified in order to evaluate the level of attention paid to AI in different countries and industries.