Abstract Digital Sovereignty and Intellectual Property in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Emerging Legal Challenges and Global Inequities Mandala Shobah Rani

Digital Sovereignty and Intellectual Property in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Emerging Legal Challenges and Global Inequities

Dr. Shobha Rani. M¹

Abstract:

The rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies has fundamentally disrupted traditional paradigms of intellectual property (IP) law, raising complex questions concerning authorship, inventorship, ownership, and accountability. This paper critically examines the intersection of digital sovereignty and intellectual property in the age of AI, focusing on the emerging legal and regulatory challenges that transcend national boundaries. Existing IP frameworks historically premised on human creativity and inventorship are increasingly ill-equipped to address AI-generated outputs, thereby exposing significant doctrinal and regulatory gaps.

The growing controversy surrounding AI-generated inventions highlights the absence of harmonized legal standards and reveals a structural tension between technological innovation and established legal principles. Across jurisdictions, regulatory and judicial approaches continue to affirm human-centric notions of authorship and inventorship, creating uncertainty regarding ownership, liability, and the allocation of economic benefits derived from AI-generated works. At the same time, the expansion of data-driven AI systems has intensified concerns relating to digital sovereignty, particularly for developing countries that remain dependent on data infrastructures and proprietary technologies controlled by global actors.

The evolving regulatory landscape reflects fragmented and often inconsistent approaches that struggle to reconcile intellectual property protection with equitable access, transparency, and accountability. Issues surrounding training data, copyright limitations, and algorithmic governance further exacerbate global inequities and challenge the realization of knowledge as a shared public resource.

This paper argues for a reimagining of intellectual property regimes that accommodates the realities of artificial intelligence while safeguarding principles of fairness, inclusivity, and human rights. It advocates for a balanced and adaptive legal framework grounded in international cooperation, flexible regulatory standards, and a renewed commitment to global equity. By situating intellectual property within the broader discourse of digital sovereignty, the paper underscores the urgent need to recalibrate legal systems to ensure that the benefits of AI-driven innovation are distributed more equitably across jurisdictions.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Intellectual property, Digital Sovereignty, Global Inequity, AI Regulation