Tsinghua University in Beijing has surpassed the combined patent output of MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Harvard in AI and machine learning, with 4,986 patents between 2005 and 2024. This achievement places China at the forefront of AI innovation, with the nation now holding over half of all active patent families in the field. According to LexisNexis data, the growth underscores China’s rapid development in AI technology, as well as the global shift in intellectual property leadership.
Despite this progress, the U.S. maintains its position in influential AI patents and top-performing models, with American institutions producing 40 notable AI models in 2024 compared to 15 from Chinese organizations, according to Stanford’s AI Index Report. China’s share of the world’s top 2% AI researchers has grown from 10% in 2019 to 26% in 2022, while the U.S. share has decreased from 35% to 28% during the same period, according to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation. These statistics reveal a complex dynamic in the global AI race, with both nations advancing in different areas of the field.