EPO News

The EPO Guidelines 2025 clarify when Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can make a technical contribution. AI and ML methods can be used in numerous technical fields. For example, the use of a neural network in a medical monitoring device to detect cardiac arrhythmias constitutes a technical purpose. Similarly, the classification of digital images, videos, or audio signals based on technical features—such as edges or pixel attributes—is considered a typical technical application. The guidelines list further examples of technical applications. Conversely, classifying text solely based on its linguistic content or sorting abstract data sets without a recognizable technical use of the classification result is not considered technical. To be recognized as having a technical effect, the effect must be apparent from the circumstances or supported by explanations, calculations, or tests; mere assertions are insufficient. If the technical effect depends on features of the training data set, these must be disclosed unless the skilled person can determine them without undue burden. However, disclosure of the specific training data set itself is generally not required.