On 26 August 2026, Singapore’s Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) launched a public consultation on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the country’s intellectual property (IP) regime. Focusing on copyright and patent law, the consultation seeks to balance innovation, legal certainty and the protection of human creativity, while ensuring that Singapore’s IP framework remains fit for an AI-driven economy. The consultation is open until 22 October 2026.
Copyright
A key area of focus is the use of copyright materials in AI training. Singapore’s computational data analysis (CDA) exception, introduced in 2021, permits the use of copyright-protected content for machine learning subject to lawful access requirements. The consultation examines whether targeted refinements may enhance certainty and accountability, particularly regarding the exception’s application to generative AI and commercial activities.
The consultation also addresses copyright infringement risks arising from AI-generated outputs. It seeks input on how liability should be allocated among AI developers, deployers and end users when AI-generated content infringes third-party rights, and whether technical measures can help minimise infringement risks in a proportionate and commercially viable way. The consultation paper recognises that minimising infringement risk is a shared responsibility between the AI developer, the AI deployer and the party that uses the generative AI.
Perhaps most significantly, the consultation revisits the concept of human authorship in the age of AI. While Singapore’s copyright regime remains centred on human creativity, the consultation seeks views on how stakeholders assess human contribution where AI tools play a substantial role. It recognises that copyright protection exists along a spectrum tied to the degree of human creative input.
Patents
On the patent side, the consultation examines the role of AI in the inventive process. Rather than focusing on entirely autonomous AI inventors, the discussion centres on AI-assisted inventions—where AI functions as a tool that supports human researchers in defining the problem and conceiving a solution. Stakeholders are invited to consider how human contribution should be assessed for inventorship when AI contributes to generating, evaluating or refining the technical solution, and what practical implications this may have for R&D planning, documentation and IP management.
The consultation also highlights a growing concern for patent systems globally: the proliferation of AI-generated technical disclosures. As generative AI makes it easier to produce and publish large volumes of technical content at scale, questions arise about quality, reliability and enablement of such disclosures, as well as the increased burden on patent offices conducting prior art searches. The consultation seeks views on whether AI-generated content should be treated as prior art and, if so, whether the same standards and presumptions that apply to human-generated disclosures should govern its assessment.
Looking Ahead
The consultation underscores Singapore’s pragmatic approach to AI regulation. Rather than treating AI as a disruptive force requiring an entirely new IP framework, Singapore is building upon established legal principles and existing policy documents, while addressing emerging uncertainties through targeted refinements and stakeholder co-creation.
For rights holders, technology companies and innovators alike, the consultation offers an important opportunity to shape the future interaction between AI and IP. The questions posed on liability allocation for AI-generated infringement, the role of technical measures, and the nature of human contribution in both copyright and patent contexts suggest that Singapore is seeking to develop practical, industry-informed guidance rather than prescriptive regulation. As AI continues to blur traditional boundaries of authorship and inventorship, stakeholders should consider engaging with this consultation to influence the direction of Singapore’s IP policy. The deadline for submissions is 22 October 2026.
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