Google has surpassed IBM to emerge as the frontrunner in generative AI-related patents and is also at the forefront of the developing field of agentic AI, as per to data from IFI,
A recent report released on Thursday shows that Google and Nvidia are at the forefront of agentic AI patent filings in the United States, followed closely by IBM, Intel, and Microsoft. These rankings are based on new data covering a 14-month window from February 2024 through April 2025.
On the international stage, Google and Nvidia also lead in the number of agentic AI-related patents. However, three Chinese universities have secured positions within the global top 10, signaling China’s growing challenge to U.S. dominance in this emerging tech frontier.
In the category of generative AI patents globally, Google remains the frontrunner. Yet, Chinese institutions and companies have made significant inroads, claiming six of the top ten positions. Microsoft ranks third, with Nvidia and IBM also among the global leaders.
While DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, was linked to only one global patent — which focuses on creating training datasets — American tech giants were much more active. Within the U.S., generative AI patent applications were led by Google and Microsoft, overtaking IBM’s previous lead.
Other major players in the U.S. top 10 for generative AI filings include Nvidia, Capital One, Samsung, Adobe, Intel, and Qualcomm. Many of these organizations also appear on the broader list of AI-related patent submissions, with Google at the top once again, trailed by Microsoft, IBM, Samsung, and Capital One.
Globally, the top position for AI-related patents went to Google, with Huawei and Samsung ranking next.
Notably absent from the top 10 were Meta and OpenAI. According to IFI Claims, OpenAI has recently intensified its patent activity, although it has emphasized a defensive approach to its filings. Meta, on the other hand, has prioritized contributions to open-source AI rather than patenting.
In terms of overall activity, U.S. applications tied to generative AI surged by 56% over the past year, reaching 51,487. The number of granted patents in the same area rose 32%. Generative AI now represents 17% of all U.S. AI-related filings, while agentic AI accounts for 7%. On a global scale, generative AI made up 23% of AI-related patent applications, with agentic AI making up 5%.
