Patent Law - Lost in (AI) Translation

I gave an AI-based image generation tool the prompt: "A modern landscape of what the world of patent attorney services combined with Machine Learning would look like."

A modern landscape of what the world of patent attorney services

The result? An image that relied too literally on the word "landscape," which wasn’t particularly innovative.

Curious, I refined the prompt: "A modern view showing what the world of patent attorney services combined with Machine Learning will look like."

A modern view showing what the world of patent attorney services

This time, the tool produced an image that only captured a shallow interpretation of "low services," sticking to basic associations.

The AI seemed to be trapped in a loop of literal thinking, unable to expand the semantic meaning of the terms and offer something more creative or nuanced.

In patent law, I want to use AI to convert my argumentative ideas into well-structured statements that support my assertions and legal claims. Just like with image generation tools, I need precision—adjusting my arguments to ensure they are relevant and deliver impactful legal statements.

The first step in using any AI tool is understanding when to use certain terms, like "landscape," and when to take a different approach that better aligns with the desired outcome. I must know where I want to go and what I aim to achieve (otherwise: As Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland said: "Where do you want to go?' Without a clear destination, any path can seem just as good as another").

The process doesn’t stop there. AI image generation tools convert text into mathematical representations. These are processed through algorithms and translated into numerical data (e.g., “The cat is on the table” might become [1.1, -2.3, 4.1, -12.3,...]). The numerical data then forms a cloud of pixels, which is refined into a visual image.

So when I write text, the machine interprets my meaning, but like any translation, noise and inaccuracy are introduced. This noise has the potential to distort my original intent, so the final output can be influenced by this bias.

This bias is probably inevitable, whether you're using an image generation tool, an AI language model for legal arguments, or any other AI assistant. Before using any AI tool, make sure you're clear on what you want to express and how you want to shape your argument. 

AI tools can be helpful, but they often introduce biases and inaccuracies when converting text into other forms, whether it’s for image generation or legal argumentation. The process of translation always introduces some level of noise that can skew the intended message.

So, before you use AI, make sure you know exactly what you want to express and how you want to shape your argument. Furthermore, don’t be predictive, shallow, or obvious when stating your arguments. AI might not always capture the nuance and depth you're aiming for unless you're precise and thoughtful in guiding it.