Innovation Momentum 2025: AI Innovators

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) across industries signifies a groundbreaking shift. With its remarkable capacity to process vast datasets swiftly and accurately, AI is transforming the way businesses and innovators tackle problems and make decisions. This change is more than just a passing fad; it’s a fundamental evolution in how we leverage technology to propel progress forward. In the future, the products and services created by AI innovators will significant impacts to many aspects of our lives.

In the current fast-paced technological environment, the intricacy and quantity of innovations are unparalleled. Indeed, patents play a crucial role in safeguarding these innovations while also providing valuable insights into emerging trends and possible partnerships. By utilizing sophisticated patent analytics, the Innovation Momentum 2025: The Global Top 100 report recently released. The report highlights the Top 100 companies across industries and sizes based on portfolio quality. The annual report is published by LexisNexis® Intellectual Property Solutions and provides insights into innovation around the world. The report is based on data analysis from industry-leading patent analytics solution LexisNexis® PatentSight+™.

This year, the report underscores the role of AI innovators, depicting the AI-related share of portfolios among the top industries. And in that analysis, among the Top 100, Amazon and Alphabet are observed to have a higher percentage of their portfolio quality attributed to AI-related patents. Leading AI innovation are companies like Alphabet and Amazon. They are identified as some of the leaders in AI development in the Information Technologies (IT) industry and in influencing multiple sectors.

The double-edged sword of AI: opportunity and risk

The role of AI can have a positive impact in areas such as healthcare, security, and research and development. We can look forward to opportunities to increase efficiency, streamline work, create new products, and make improvements to existing products.

There is an expectation that AI development will be innovative and responsible. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act was enacted in 2024. The United States does not yet have comprehensive federal legislation regulating AI. However, there are state laws and executive orders in place at this time. A conversica survey revealed that 86% of business leaders at organizations already adopting AI say that having AI ethics policies in place is crucial. But only 5% of the leaders at companies adopting AI currently have clear guidelines in place. RELX, the parent company of LexisNexis, has strict guidelines around responsible AI.

Meanwhile, AI is ranked as a threat in numerous reports. The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2024 shows:

• Misinformation and disinformation is the most severe short-term risk the world faces.
• AI is amplifying manipulated and distorted information that could destabilize societies.
• The report reveals interconnected risks flowing from the misuse of AI.

At the same time, AI has triggered extreme market fluctuations—evidenced by Nvidia’s $600 billion valuation drop and DeepSeek’s rapid rise, which disrupted the AI cost model. These shifts showcase how AI innovation is accelerating competition and reshaping market power dynamics. While concerns about AI’s risks are valid, its potential for economic and technological breakthroughs is undeniable. This dual nature makes it essential to identify who is leading AI innovation responsibly.

Identifying true AI innovators

The Innovation Momentum methodology uniquely identifies top innovators by evaluating patent portfolio quality. Grounded in the trusted Patent Asset Index indicator of patent portfolio strength, it comprehensively assesses advancements across technology fields based on the innovators’ target markets.

We’ve seen a steady stream of AI-related patent filings. This underscores the field’s evolution and the continuous drive for innovation. In the chart below, we analyzed patent portfolios of companies on the Top 100 across the most represented four industries. To ensure that the results express trends in a significant portfolio, the data in Figure 1 only considers the contribution of AI-related patents to the total portfolio strength.

Figure 1: AI-related share of the patent portfolio strength (Patent Asset Index) by industry, of industries with 10 or more companies from the Top 100.

The figure below shows the AI related and non-AI related patents from the Information Technologies industry and the Pharmaceutical industry.

Figure 2: Selected owners from the Information Technologies industry and the Pharmaceutical industry, and the share of AI-related patents contributing to the overall Patent Asset Index.

Companies like Alphabet and Amazon have built AI into the core of their innovation strategy, with nearly 40% of their portfolio strength tied to AI-related patents. Their long-term commitment is evident in strategic acquisitions—Alphabet’s DeepMind and Amazon’s Zoox—positioning them at the forefront of AI transformation. AI leadership isn’t accidental; it results from deliberate, long-term planning, as confirmed by the Innovation Momentum 2025 Report.

We are also seeing the blurring boundaries between industries and technologies. Until recently, industries were distinctly characterized by their core technologies. The development of revolutionary technologies like digitization and wireless connectivity has begun to dissolve these clear boundaries. For example, it is interesting to note the Pharmaceutical and Chemical industries filing patents in AI related technologies.

The role of AI innovator’s expanding influence beyond IT

The relationship between Information Technologies and Semiconductors companies further amplifies AI’s impact. Also, AI is making significant inroads in the Pharmaceutical and Chemicals and Materials industries. AI is being used to model new drugs, accelerating the drug development process. Similarly, in materials sciences, AI helps to design innovative materials and predict their properties. This is seen in the development of advanced fuel cells.

Why AI leadership matters

For business leaders the role of AI matters because it enables leaders to make more informed decisions. It gives them the ability to analyze vast amounts of data quickly, automate repetitive tasks to free up time for strategic thinking. It can also provide predictive insights to identify potential opportunities and risks. This ultimately allows them to focus on higher-level leadership functions like innovation, creativity, and employee development. At the same time, they need to maintain a human touch to address ethical considerations and complex situations that AI cannot fully grasp.

Innovation Report Reveals the Trailblazers of Tomorrow

What Questions Will the 2025 Report Answer?

• Which sectors are leading the innovation race, and what does that mean for the future of industry dynamics?
• What companies have shown the strongest innovation momentum over the past two years?
• How are major shifts, like cross-sector collaborations and M&As, redefining the innovation landscape?
• How is artificial intelligence(AI) driving innovation, and which industries are leveraging it most effectively?
• What cutting-edge IP strategies are adopted by innovation trailblazers?

With a focus on data-driven, actionable insights and future-proof strategies, the Innovation Momentum 2025 report is the must-have guide for business leaders, IP professionals, and innovators.

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