Sergey Diakov
⬤ Tsinghua University dominates AI patent production, filing more patents annually than America's top universities put together. Bloomberg data reveals that Tsinghua's AI and machine learning patent output now exceeds the combined totals from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, the entire University of California system, and Caltech.
⬤ The shift started around 2009 when Tsinghua began pulling ahead. While US institutions maintained steady but modest growth, Tsinghua's patent filings exploded through the 2010s and early 2020s. By the mid-2020s, Tsinghua was filing well over 1,000 active and inactive AI patents and patent families annually, according to LexisNexis data.
⬤ This massive gap shows how differently the two systems handle research. Tsinghua runs what appears to be a well-oiled machine that systematically converts AI research into patents across multiple countries. The university treats AI discoveries as commercial assets, not just academic papers. US universities, meanwhile, continue their traditional approach with slower, steadier patent growth.
⬤ Why it matters: Patents drive technology licensing and commercialization. As AI becomes the battleground for economic competition, having the intellectual property concentrated at Chinese institutions like Tsinghua shifts where innovation happens. This trend will shape future partnerships, competitive dynamics, and who leads in AI development going forward.
Sergey Diakov
