Vox EU

Some artificial intelligence technologies are more data intensive than others. This column examines how data privacy regulation shaped the trajectory of AI innovation across countries, looking at patent applications from 57 countries across 76 industries between 2010 and 2021. Following the EU General Data Protection Regulation, patent applicants with greater exposure to EU markets increased data-saving patents while reducing data-intensive ones, with EU-based firms driving this shift. Moreover, the regulation appears to have lowered overall AI patenting in the EU while consolidating the market dominance of established firms.