Artificial intelligence and intellectual property rights in Nigeria: A legal discourse of the challenges and prospects

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is a hydra-headed creation that has taken over every aspect of life. We are yet to come to grasp with the massive impact of the use of AI and the way it is rapidly reshaping industries and innovation processes, bringing forth significant challenges and opportunities for intellectual property rights (IPR). The intersection of artificial intelligence and intellectual property rights (IPRs) represents one of the most significant and evolving areas in the field of intellectual property law. The way AI systems increasingly contribute to the creation of new inventions, artworks, and innovations, traditional IP frameworks, creates the challenges surrounding ownership and control of inventions and creative works produced by AI. The paper used doctrinal methodology to explore the dichotomy between AI’s capabilities and the limitations of current IP laws in Nigerian by analysing the intersection of AI and IPR, thus highlighting the potential gaps and ambiguities surrounding AI’s role as a creator, the ownership of AI-generated works, and exploring the adequacy of Nigeria’s IP laws in addressing AI-related innovations, and the potential for AI to infringe on existing IP rights. The use of AI transforms creativity, authorship, and innovation, Nigeria faces a critical juncture: balancing technological advancement with robust IP frameworks that address AI-generated content, data sovereignty, and ethical governance. The paper addresses the of global trends in US and China, the paper concluded by proposing balancing the protection of creators’ rights and societal interests by the adaptation of IP systems that will fostering innovation.