The Murky Waters of Intellectual Property in the Age of AI-Generated Inventions

Recently, while shopping for a product, I came across a disclaimer that added a new dimension to the discussion on intellectual property and ownership. The disclaimer, “This is an AI-generated summary of customer reviews, and may include incentivized reviews,” indicates that not all reviews are provided by actual humans with lived experiences of the products.

In the digital marketplace, product reviews significantly influence consumer decisions. Shoppers use these reviews to assess a product’s quality, usability, and overall satisfaction. However, the inclusion of AI-generated reviews adds a layer of complexity, challenging our traditional understanding of authenticity, authorship, and ownership.

The main concern is the potential for buyers to be misled by these AI-generated reviews, which are not based on genuine consumer experiences. Additionally, the ownership of these reviews is ambiguous. It is uncertain whether the review belongs to the algorithm’s programmer, the deploying company, or the collective wisdom of the input data. This underscores the challenge of dealing with AI-generated content and ownership.

The rapid advancement in AI technology is revolutionizing the creative sector, challenging the conventional notion of authorship typically associated…