DABUS Creativity Machine (UK) Source: The Lawyer The Lawyer reports on the beginning of a landmark hearing at the UK Supreme Court to determine whether an artificial intelligence system can be legally recognized as an inventor on a patent application. The case involves Dr. Stephen Thaler, who has been fighting for years to have his AI system, DABUS, named as the inventor of two creations: a food container and a flashing light beacon. Thaler argues that he did not contribute to the inventive concept and that DABUS should be credited. Previous rulings by the UK Intellectual Property Office, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal have all rejected the applications, maintaining that under current UK patent law, an "inventor" must be a human being. The Supreme Court is now tasked with providing a definitive interpretation of the law. The central legal question is whether the UK’s Patents Act 1977 can accommodate a non-human inventor. This case is being closely monitored globally, as its outcome could have profound consequences for innovation, intellectual property ownership, and the legal framework governing creations generated by sophisticated AI systems.