AI can help startups reduce patent preparation costs, but DIY applications may overlook critical issues. In this guest commentary, attorneys Michael Drapkin and Nathan Mutter of AI-native law firm Landfall IP argue that combining AI with legal expertise can produce more efficient, commercially valuable patent protection that withstands investor scrutiny and is harder for competitors to circumvent.
Founders can use AI to organize technical documentation, summarize existing patents, and identify prior art. However, AI’s capabilities are jagged—it can perform some tasks remarkably well while missing legal and strategic issues that determine a patent’s commercial value. An application can look sophisticated while providing little meaningful protection.
Incomplete provisional applications, premature disclosure, and unclear ownership are key risks of DIY patent filing. A poorly prepared application can create false confidence while leaving valuable innovations exposed. The right counsel can orchestrate AI across the workflow, coordinating invention discovery, drafting, drawings, and quality checks.
The question isn’t whether startups should use AI—it’s how much founders can safely do themselves and when legal expertise becomes essential.
Source: Crunchbase News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing