Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most important technologies of this era.

Once considered a remote possibility reserved for science fiction, AI has advanced enough to approach a technological tipping point of generating groundbreaking effects on humanity and is “likely to leave no stratum of society untouched”.

Progress in AI has shown tremendous potential for benefitting mankind by improving efficiency and savings in production, commerce, “transport, medical care, rescue, education and farming”, as well as for significantly cultivating “the ability and level of social governance”.

But AI’s technological advances are also expected to disrupt numerous legal frameworks, including various aspects of US patent law.