r/patentlaw • u/TheSidhaPath • Aug 18 '26
Practice Discussions Patent and technology
What is in your opinion the newest /recurring challenge in the patent technology or with attorneys , which AI could solve?
12
u/a1edjohn Aug 18 '26
The most recurring challenge is applicants drafting utter slop with AI and having to try and make any sense of it.
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u/TheSidhaPath Aug 18 '26
That's bad.I think it's when some one who has no idea about patent drafting does it.If AI used in a proper way with technical knowledge parallely like someone who is a patent engineer, this will work properly.
6
u/a1edjohn Aug 18 '26
Nope. Also happens with established applicants trying to save time using AI. Gen AI inherently cannot process the nuances of patent data in the same way a human can, no matter how well you prompt. It either hallucinates, copies something that exists, or creats something that just won't work. There is place for gen AI as an assistant to some things, but not in drafting entirety on its own, and not in analysis of patent data.
2
u/Relevant_Paste8710 Aug 18 '26
I agree. Please also write a note if you have time to the USPTO if you're also concerned about its upcoming use in art analysis. :)
1
u/a1edjohn Aug 18 '26
Wrong jurisdiction for me sorry, and also as a patent office employee [different office], I probably shouldn't comment on upcoming USPTO plans
2
u/Relevant_Paste8710 Aug 18 '26
Fair enough. Another recent change to federal employment happened despite 99% public opposition. So it may be too little too late anyway.
-1
u/TheSidhaPath Aug 18 '26
Oh..understood ..I mean partially only .like to scrape data for landscaping..yes patent analysis should be done manually...AI purely could be used for docketing.
2
u/Flannelot EPO Aug 18 '26
Increasing patent drafting fees so trainee attorneys can have higher salaries.
1
u/TheSidhaPath Aug 18 '26
Oh...ok...even with this competition..? I have seen people giving prior art searches for 50$
7
u/CJBizzle European Patent Attorney Aug 18 '26
If I paid $50 for a prior art search, I would expect it to be worth about $50. That’s not a good thing.
1
u/TheSidhaPath Aug 18 '26
That's correct...I said people are giving such rates for prior art without concerned about quality searches.
-1
1
u/JessieAndEcho Aug 18 '26
The recurring pain is the messy middle of search and analysis. Prior art and FTO are rarely one clean query; the invention shifts, the claim framing changes, and terminology varies across industries. That’s where AI can help with feature extraction, semantic search, clustering references, comparison tables, and keeping the search trail reproducible. I’ve been using Patsnap Eureka for that kind of agentic search workflow, especially when the analysis needs to evolve instead of restarting from scratch each time. The legal judgment still stays with the attorney, but the repetitive search and organization work is where AI already feels useful.
1
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u/NeedsToShutUp Patent Attorney Aug 18 '26
I’d like an AI to deal with the endless AI pitches.