DE | Incident Report
Regulatory Action
2026-01-09
EPO expands AI-assisted drafting of oral-proceedings minutes across more divisions
AI Model: Unspecified AI tool
I. Executive Summary
The European Patent Office (EPO) publicly announced an expansion of its AI-assisted approach to drafting minutes of oral proceedings, building on a pilot that began in 2025. The EPO stated that AI support will be rolled out more broadly during 2026, including examination and opposition proceedings and additional EPO divisions.
The process involves audio recording oral proceedings to enable transcription and AI-assisted minute drafting, while maintaining that the competent division remains responsible for the final minutes.
The announcement is operationally significant for patent practitioners appearing before the EPO because it changes the mechanics and governance of minute production and associated data handling.
II. Key Facts
- EPO announced broader use of AI support for preparing minutes of oral proceedings during 2026, following a pilot involving roughly 150 proceedings since May 2025.
- EPO indicated oral proceedings are audio recorded to support transcription and AI-assisted minute drafting.
- EPO stated recordings are made solely to assist with minutes and are deleted once minutes are issued.
- EPO emphasized a “human-centric” approach: the competent division retains full responsibility for the final minutes.
III. Regulatory & Ethical Implications
Creates a practice-relevant compliance and governance signal for counsel and professional representatives: increased reliance on official minutes produced via AI-assisted workflows elevates scrutiny of accuracy, process integrity, and data-handling safeguards (recording, retention/deletion, access controls).
It may also inform procedural challenges or evidentiary disputes where parties contest minute accuracy, and it underscores expectations that institutions deploying AI in adjudicative-adjacent functions maintain clear accountability and auditability.