OK Computer: The creation and integration of AI in Europe

Abstract

This article investigates the creation and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) patents in Europe. We create a panel of AI patents over time, mapping them into regions at the NUTS2 level. We then proceed by examining how AI is integrated into the knowledge space of each region. In particular, we find that those regions where AI is most embedded into the innovation landscape are also those where the number of AI patents is largest. This suggests that, to increase AI innovation, it may be necessary to integrate it with industrial development, a feature central to many recent AI-promoting policies.