Guide
AI Prior Art Search
Find the art that decides invalidity—in minutes, not weeks.
What is AI prior art search?
AI prior art search uses machine learning to find patents, non-patent literature, and product evidence relevant to a patent’s claims. Instead of relying only on keywords and classification codes, it searches by technical concept and meaning, returning citation-backed results in minutes that an attorney reviews and verifies.
What counts as prior art
Strong invalidity positions depend on searching every place the art can hide—not just patent databases:
- Patents and published applications. Across major jurisdictions—the foundation of any §102/§103 analysis.
- Non-patent literature (NPL). Research papers, technical standards, clinical trials, and the broader public internet.
- Product evidence. Manuals, datasheets, spec sheets, teardowns, photos, and demo videos.
- Archived web. Current and historical product listings and pages that establish a date of public availability.
How AI prior art search works
Traditional search relies on exact keywords and classification codes, so it misses art that describes the same idea in different words. AI search instead matches on the underlying technical concept—surfacing semantically related references a keyword query would never return.
You start from a patent, a claim, or a plain-English description, review ranked results with citations to the exact supporting passage, and refine the query as you learn. The loop is fast enough to run dozens of iterations in the time a search firm would take to return a first pass.
AI search vs. traditional search firms
Outside prior art search firms cost thousands of dollars and take days to weeks per search. AI search brings that capability in-house: search-firm quality at in-house speed and cost, with full control over scope and iteration. You stop waiting on a vendor and start steering the search yourself—then carry the results straight into invalidity analysis and claim charts.
In &AI
Run prior art search in &AI
&AI’s prior art search covers 60M+ patent publications plus the full internet of NPL, product documentation, and archived web—all in one workspace. Every result links back to its source, and the evidence flows directly into the rest of your patent litigation workflow.
Frequently asked questions
What is AI prior art search?+
AI prior art search uses machine learning to find patents, non-patent literature, and product evidence relevant to a patent’s claims. Instead of relying only on keywords and classification codes, it searches by technical concept and meaning, returning citation-backed results in minutes that an attorney reviews and verifies.
What counts as prior art?+
Prior art is any evidence that an invention was already known. It includes earlier patents and published applications, non-patent literature such as research papers, standards, and clinical trials, and real-world product evidence like manuals, datasheets, teardowns, and archived web pages.
Is AI prior art search accurate enough for invalidity work?+
Yes, when the attorney stays in control. &AI returns results with citations that point to the exact passage or figure in each source, so you verify relevance before relying on anything. The AI accelerates discovery and ranking; the litigator makes the call on what is material.
Does AI prior art search replace a prior art search firm?+
It can replace much of that work for a fraction of the cost and turnaround. Outside firms typically take days to weeks and cost thousands per search. &AI searches 60M+ patent publications plus NPL, products, and archived web in minutes, so teams can iterate themselves and bring searches in-house.
How is AI prior art search different from a keyword search?+
Keyword search depends on exact terms and classification codes and misses art that uses different vocabulary. AI search matches on the underlying technical concept, surfaces semantically related references, and lets you refine queries iteratively—improving recall on the hard-to-find art that decides invalidity.
What can I do with the results in &AI?+
Search results connect directly to the next steps: build §102, §103, and §112 invalidity positions, generate claim charts mapping each limitation to its citation, and carry the same evidence into infringement and IPR work—without rebuilding context in a separate tool.
Scale your
patent expertise
&AI is a platform for patent litigators to craft trial-ready work product—fast enough for pitches, strong enough for court.