Minutes of oral proceedings to be prepared with the assistance of AI

https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/minutes-oral-proceedings-be-prepared-assistance-ai

Minutes of oral proceedings to be prepared with the assistance of AI

08.04.2025

Artificial image showing what looks like a futuristic computer chip in white and bright blue

Artificial intelligence (AI) already supports the EPO in areas such as classification, search and machine translation. A new pilot will demonstrate the use of AI to support minute writing in oral proceedings before examining and opposition divisions. The experience gained will enable AI to be deployed more widely from 2026.

From May 2025, a pilot will enable examiners in selected examining and opposition divisions to benefit from the capabilities of AI technology when drawing up minutes of oral proceedings, so that they can be provided in higher quality to the parties sooner. To this end, oral proceedings before these divisions will be audio recorded in their entirety. The recording will be made solely to assist in the drawing up of minutes of oral proceedings and will be deleted once they are issued to the parties. Following a human-centric approach, the content of the minutes remains the responsibility of the respective examining or opposition division.

Upon completion of the pilot planned for the end of 2025, and following a review of its operation, the recording of oral proceedings and preparation of minutes with the assistance of AI will be gradually applied to all oral proceedings before examining and opposition divisions as well as those before the Receiving Section and the Legal Division.

The EPO is committed to using AI and machine learning technologies to increase quality and efficiency in the patent grant process. To date, these technologies have been applied in the areas of classification, search, and machine translation. Taking advantage of the continuous technological developments in the field of AI, and in line with the Strategic Plan 2028, the EPO is expanding the use of AI into further areas of the patent grant process, closely following a human-centric approach.