Google has outpaced IBM, claiming the top spot in the number of patent applications in the field of generative artificial intelligence and agent AI. Axios reports this, citing data from IFI Claims.

In recent months, there has been a significant increase of over 50% in patent applications related to generative AI in the U.S., indicating active research and development of new technologies.

Leading the patent list for agent AI in the U.S. are Google and NVIDIA, followed by IBM, Intel, and Microsoft. Globally, the same companies, Google and NVIDIA, lead the rankings, with three Chinese universities also making it into the top 10, highlighting the growing competition between the U.S. and China in this sector.

Key players in the U.S. for generative AI patent applications include Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Capital One, Samsung, Adobe, Intel, and Qualcomm. Interestingly, Meta and OpenAI did not make the top 10, as Meta focuses on open-source initiatives and OpenAI claims it intends to use patents only for defensive purposes.

Over 14 months, from February 2024 to April 2025, the number of patent applications related to generative AI in the U.S. increased by 56%, while the number of issued patents rose by 32%. Generative AI accounts for 17% of all AI patent applications in the U.S., while agent AI constitutes 7%.