From Risk To Reward: What Our 2026 Industry Outlook Research Reveals About AI In IP

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

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.

43% struggle to recruit IP professionals with experience or competency in their IP management technologies.

65% use AI tools in-house, and say they have a positive impact on their work (up from 58% in 2025);

When considering trademark respondents only, the top three tasks are office action management (41%), search (32%), and reporting (30%).

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.

—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%

IP professionals desire rapid access to portfolio insights and budget reporting, easy renewal workflows, and role-specific experiences.

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