Artificial intelligence (AI) was just the second breakthrough technological advancement in Bill Gates' lifetime, the first being the graphical user interface (GUI), the foundation upon which Windows was constructed. In a March blog post, he compared AI progress to past technological breakthroughs such as microprocessors, mobile phones, and the internet.

 

Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are all competing in this developing technology arena, demonstrating new AI capabilities built on their existing apps. In truth, this conflict is not only between companies, but also between governments. The table below compares China's dominance in general AI-related patent applications to that of its nearest competitors.

 

China increased the number of semi-annual patent applications more than sevenfold between 2016 and 2023, while the US and Japan increased theirs by 3.5 times and two times, respectively. While India's base is small, it has one of the greatest growth rates at over 11, indicating that the government is doubling down on its AI efforts.

 

Looking at specific countries, South Korea and Sweden stand up in terms of AI innovation growth rates.

 

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational technology company based in Redmond, Washington. The Windows operating system, the Microsoft 365 suite of office programs, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers are among Microsoft's most well-known software products.