If AI just churns out a whole bunch of stuff with no known useful application that can be demonstrated in physical reality, it won't be able to patent that. "[

If AI just churns out a whole bunch of stuff with no known useful application that can be demonstrated in physical reality, it won't be able to patent that. "[A] patent is not a hunting license. It is not a reward for the search, but compensation for its successful conclusion" - Brenner v. Manson [1] In the above case, the inventor discovered a whole class of molecules. The Supreme Court said that you can't patent that because you have to show that each thing you patent can be used for something useful. Basically, the inventor couldn't just claim the whole class of molecules to keep anyone from using them and then figure out what they're good for later. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenner_v._Manson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenner_v._Manson