US patent office confirms AI can’t hold patents::The US Patent and Trademark Office maintains that only natural humans can get patents, but people do have to disclose if they used AI for the invention.

  • Buttons@programming.dev
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    9 months ago

    Prior art is still a thing though, and invalidates a patent. I think first to file just means you can’t keep an idea secret and then “surprise!, we already invented that be we’ve been keeping it a secret, but trust us, we were first”. If you publish an idea, it establishes prior art and, in theory, prevents future patents of that idea.

    • mnemonicmonkeys
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      9 months ago

      Unfortunately I’ve seen plenty of patents misused exactly as you described. Patent trolls are a thing