Trademarks professionals warm to AI with human oversight

Corsearch has published its 2026 State of Trademarks Report, which found rising confidence in the use of artificial intelligence among trademark professionals.

The survey covered more than 230 in-house and law-firm trademark practitioners across the US and EMEA. Most respondents favoured a model combining automation with human oversight rather than full automation.

Some 78% said they preferred a balanced mix of automation and human input, while 59% were already using that approach. By contrast, only 2% had adopted a fully automated management model.

The findings suggest legal teams are adopting AI cautiously. A further 51% said they were exploring AI's potential, up 10 percentage points from the previous year.

Shift in focus

One of the clearest changes in the survey was where trademark teams are directing their efforts. Enforcement and dispute management has overtaken trademark clearance and search as the area consuming the most resources.

Some 64% of respondents now spend most of their resources on enforcement and dispute management. In the previous year's study, 59% said trademark clearance and search was the top area.

The shift points to a broader change in how AI is being considered in trademark work. Rather than being used mainly for initial clearance and search tasks, it is increasingly being examined in disputes and enforcement activity, where legal teams often face heavy caseloads and tighter time pressures.

Investment intentions also appear to be rising. Some 15% of respondents plan to increase spending on trademark protection tools and services in the coming year, up from 10% in 2025.

That rise remains modest, but it adds to the picture of a sector becoming more willing to commit funds to technology, automation and AI. At the same time, the low level of full automation suggests professionals still see limits in handing over trademark management entirely to machines.

Human oversight

Viji Krishnan, president of trademarks at Corsearch, said clients are using the technology to support rather than replace legal judgment.

"The majority of our customers are looking for AI to aid their workflows, reduce risk, and increase the time they have available for decision-making. Whilst perceptions and processes have changed even in the past 12 months, they do still however, want to ensure that it is coupled with strong domain expertise and a 'human in the loop'. This approach is likely to remain for some time to come.

"The industry's next steps must focus on building a greater understanding of the benefits AI can bring. Only then will teams be confident enough to increase investment in and reliance upon AI and automation to futureproof trademark management."

The latest report is based on a much larger pool of respondents than the previous edition. The first State of Trademarks Report, published in 2025, drew on responses from about 75 trademark practitioners, compared with 230 this year.

The larger sample gives the latest findings broader reach across trademark practice in the US and EMEA. It also comes as legal teams continue to test where AI can support their work without removing the need for specialist judgment.

For trademark lawyers and in-house brand teams, that balance appears central to current adoption patterns. The survey suggests automation is being treated less as a replacement for legal expertise and more as a tool to support case handling, review processes and workload management.

The result is a picture of an industry warming to AI, but on tightly managed terms. Just 2% of trademark professionals have adopted a fully automated management model.