Artificial Intelligence (AI) changes - often invisibly - everyday life. In the field of IP law, however, AI raises new questions and challenges. A research project of the legal departments of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition led by Professor Reto M. Hilty and Professor Josef Drexl is investigating these issues.
The Research Group “Regulation of the Digital Economy” examines whether the existing IP system can fulfil its fundamental functions in the context of AI. Since a sound understanding of technology is indispensable for this task, the members of the group researched technical literature, conducted interviews with practitioners and organized a workshop with international AI researchers. The result is the present paper "Technical Aspects of Artificial Intelligence: An Understanding from an Intellectual Property Law Perspective".
The paper forms the basis for the group's ongoing legal research: How do current IP rights apply to AI? To what extent should the existing IP system be adjusted to adequately reflect social and economic changes due to AI?