The latest edition of our IP Industry Outlook Research reveals that AI is providing a powerful catalyst for change in our sector. As increasing numbers of IP professionals embrace its potential, we assess how AI has impacted the IP profession to date, uncover current challenges and opportunities, and spotlight emerging trends that will influence IP practice over the next five years. Download our report 'From Risk to Reward: AI and the IP Profession' to discover our findings.
For our third annual survey of AI in IP, we consulted more than 500 IP professionals worldwide to address one of the most pressing questions facing the IP profession today: how exactly is AI impacting the practice of IP law? The findings provide invaluable, timely benchmarking statistics regarding the adoption of AI technology solutions by IP practitioners in both companies and law firms, including the most significant challenges, opportunities, and emerging trends. The results are captured in our latest report, 'From Risk to Reward: AI and the IP Profession'.
Research Highlights and Major Talking Points
Part 1: Evolution in the Role of the IP Professional
Roles and responsibilities have evolved dramatically in the past 3-5 years
- 51% believe the IP profession has changed fundamentally;
- 63% say evolution in IP tech (e.g., SaaS, AI tools for IP) had the biggest impact;
- 73% agree or strongly agree AI will forever transform their roles—up from 64% last year.
—AI will forever transform the role of the IP professional:
Legal and commercial knowledge remain the most valued skills
—Which skills and experience are most valued in your organization today?
Workload management/productivity is the most pressing IP challenge
—What are your most pressing IP management challenges (top 3)?
Respondents rely on multiple technologies to manage IP
- 58% use an IP management system (IPMS) daily;
- 49% use a generic AI tool (such as ChatGPT) at least once a day;
- 48% use an IP search/analytics tool every day.
IP management technology is the leading area for IP budget increases in 2026
—The top three areas for budget increases in 2026 are:
However, training and access to IP tech are falling behind demand
- Only 26% say they have been fully onboarded onto all available tools;
- 36% are still tracking, communicating, and collaborating on IP tasks by email;
- 43% struggle to recruit IP professionals with experience or competency in their IP management technologies.
Part 2: Key Areas for AI Adoption
As satisfaction with AI rises, so too are levels of adoption/demand
- 65% use AI tools in-house, and say they have a positive impact on their work (up from 58% in 2025);
- 53% use an AI solution for IP at least once a day (up from 46% last year).
—How often do you use AI solutions for IP?
Patent search continues to lead the field for AI adoption
—The top 3 areas for AI adoption across all respondents are:
When considering trademark respondents only, the top three tasks are office action management (41%), search (32%), and reporting (30%).
AI adoption is having a direct impact on IP spending
- 83% are turning to AI to save time and costs—up from 77% last year;
- 77% believe that AI will disrupt traditional supplier models for IP (up from 65% in 2025);
- 67% are considering, planning, or have already reduced legal spend due to AI technologies.
—Have you reduced your legal spend due to the adoption of AI technologies?
It is also impacting choice of IP suppliers
—Has the emergence of AI solutions impacted your choice of IP provider?
Quality and performance metrics are improving
—Respondents are broadly satisfied with the quality of AI output compared to manual or non-AI technologies, with ‘high/reliable’ or ‘higher than expected’ results for patent translation (58%), trademark watch (42%), workflow management (38%), and IP renewals (38%). IP docketing/data verification (55%), IP reporting (54%), and competitor analysis (52%) are the solutions most relied on for ‘workable first drafts.’
—42% estimate AI solutions for IP deliver time savings of at least 25%; 33% record budget savings of +25%
The top 5 features IP professionals value most are...
- 1. Summarization (56%)
- 2. Search assistants in natural language (54%)
- 3. Translation (51%)
- 4. Chatbots/Q&A (40%)
- 5. Task automation (30%)
However, human expertise must remain central to any AI tools for IP
—What type(s) of agentic AI behavior do you prefer?
Innovation in IP management technology remains a topic of contention
—What are your views on your current IP technologies?
Demand is rising for greater integration, flexibility, and connected analytics
—Where else would you like to see greater investment from current partners?
Improved portfolio insights are essential
IP professionals desire rapid access to portfolio insights and budget reporting, easy renewal workflows, and role-specific experiences.
Read the results of our findings in full by downloading the report today!
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