How can intellectual property help turn AI-driven health ideas into solutions that benefit patients and health systems?
Developed under the ITU-WHO-WIPO Global Initiative on AI for Health (GI-AI4H), the guide connects IP strategy with commercialization, health data governance, standards and regulatory pathways. It is intended for entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses, as well as policymakers, investors and health system implementers who support the development and use of these innovations.
A practical framework for the innovation journey
At the heart of the publication is an innovation life cycle IP matrix that turns a complex journey into a practical roadmap. From ideation and model training through validation, regulatory approval, deployment and scaling, it highlights the IP decisions that may arise at each stage, helping innovators embed IP considerations into product development and business planning throughout that journey.
As an innovation evolves, so do its IP priorities. Early on, the focus may be on documenting inventions, clarifying ownership and protecting confidential information. As development progresses, key considerations can expand to rights in training data and software, agreements with research and validation partners, and the interplay between IP protection and regulatory requirements. When a technology is ready to enter new markets or acquire new capabilities, innovators may need to reassess their portfolios, licensing arrangements and partnerships.
The matrix helps innovators identify relevant actions and prepare for discussions with IP advisors, taking into account their technology, business objectives and jurisdiction.
Protecting the full range of innovation assets
A key finding of the publication is that the companies featured in its case studies draw on a combination of IP rights and protection mechanisms. AI-enabled health solutions may comprise technical inventions, software, proprietary datasets, trained models and operational know-how, each presenting distinct protection needs.
The guide outlines how patents may protect eligible technical inventions, trade secrets may safeguard commercially valuable confidential information, and copyright may apply to software and original documentation. For data-related assets, the relevant protection may depend on confidentiality, contractual arrangements and, where applicable, copyright in compilations or database rights. By identifying these assets, innovators can make more informed and strategic decisions about what to protect and how best to do so.
As patent eligibility and other legal requirements vary across jurisdictions, the publication underscores the importance of aligning an IP strategy with the markets in which protection may be sought. It also encourages innovators to review and adapt their approach as the technology evolves.
What does it take to bring an AI-enabled health solution to market at scale?
Bringing an AI-enabled health innovation to market requires more than protecting the underlying technology. The guide shows how licensing can support multiple partnerships around the same innovation, with rights structured by application, territory or market segment. This flexibility enables innovators to collaborate with partners whose expertise and capabilities are best suited to particular uses, while combining licensing with internal product development to pursue opportunities that may be difficult to advance alone.
At the same time, IP, regulatory and data strategies need to evolve in parallel. The publication’s case studies illustrate how regulatory clearances can strengthen market credibility and commercial partnerships alongside an IP portfolio, while serving a distinct purpose: regulatory authorization does not establish IP ownership or freedom to operate. Innovators must also consider how data is obtained, used and transferred, together with privacy, confidentiality and cross-border requirements, as these choices can shape model development, collaboration and expansion into new markets.
Technical standards complete this interconnected strategy by supporting interoperability and integration into health systems. Taken together, licensing, regulatory planning, data governance and standards provide a coordinated foundation for scaling innovation effectively.
Innovator perspectives at AI for Good
These themes were also explored at the AI for Good Global Summit on July 10, 2026, during the panel “From Pilots to Systems: Scaling AI through IP.” The panel was part of “AI for Health: Scaling Impact through Standards, Investment and Intellectual Property,” a session hosted by ITU, WHO and WIPO under GI-AI4H. Moderated by Nancy Pignataro, Associate External Relations Officer at WIPO, it brought together Sarah Aboerjaib, founder of ScansX, Aishwarya Karnataki, founder of Glovatrix, and Natalie Raffoul, Managing Partner at BRION RAFFOUL LLP.
Ms. Raffoul, the author of the publication’s original draft and an IP expert specializing in the commercialization of emerging technologies such as AI, emphasized the importance of examining the full range of IP assets involved in an AI-enabled health solution.
Ms. Aboerjaib described ScansX’s work on a portable triage device intended to support faster identification of signs associated with stroke and highlighted the questions founders face about what to protect, when to file and when to seek professional advice. Ms. Karnataki shared Glovatrix’s experience developing AI communication tools for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her entire speech was interpreted live into Indian Sign Language by the company’s AI-powered sign language avatar, Mira. She also described how defining and protecting the company’s inventions helped build confidence when working with manufacturers, investors and other partners.
The engaging panel, which featured IP-enabled health technology innovators and their experiences navigating the spectrum from innovation to commercialization and impact, built on the publication’s practical guidance, case studies and life cycle matrix. By integrating IP, regulatory, data and commercialization considerations throughout the innovation journey, AI-enabled health technology innovators can build stronger partnerships, attract investment and help bring responsible AI-enabled health solutions to the people and health systems that need them.