Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (PT) | Goldberg Room, UC Berkeley Law
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The patent system is undergoing continuous transformation and must adapt to rapid technological advances – particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. While AI technologies and their applications are, in principle, patentable provided that statutory requirements are met, increasing public attention is being paid to inventions generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. At the same time, questions arise as to how the patent system itself – and the professions operating within it – will be reshaped by the use of AI. This seminar explores these issues with respect to the future of the patent system based on interviews with leading technology companies. Participants are invited to have an interactive exchange.
BFP fellows, Nikolaus Thumm (OECD,Technische Universität Berlin, ETH Board) and Gabriel Glänte (Berkeley Haas, AI Sweden, UBB Consulting), will be presenting their preliminary findings and receiving feedback on the IP consequences of AI as both an invention and an inventor.
Speaker Bios
Nikolaus Thumm has over 25 years of experience in intellectual property, technology
transfer, and technical standardization. He advises national and international
organizations, including the OECD, the European Commission, the ETH Board, WIPO,
the Swiss Institute of Intellectual Property, and the European Patent OTice, on
economic, legal, and technical regulatory matters. He previously served as Chief
Economist of the European Patent OTice and is a widely recognized international
expert, author of numerous scholarly publications, and a frequent speaker at
international conferences.
Gabriel Glänte is an IP and business lawyer and AI engineer with three master’s degrees
in law, engineering, and entrepreneurship. He is a research fellow at UC Berkeley’s Haas
School of Business, an analyst at AI Sweden, the Swedish national center for applied AI,
and a consultant with a private practice in business strategy and law. His work revolves
around strategic, legal and technical analysis and leadership initiatives in AI adoption,
defense innovation, AI security and intellectual property in collaboration with
organizations such as OpenAI, The University of Tokyo and Palo Alto Research Center.