epi Guidelines on the Use of Generative AI
The Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi) has adopted Guidelines on the use of generative AI in the work of patent attorneys. They were prepared by the epi Professional Conduct Committee and approved by the epi Council. This page points to the official text and to the articles in epi Information that discuss the Guidelines and their practical implications.
23VIP is not affiliated with epi. The links below lead to epi's own publications; the Guidelines themselves are the authoritative source.
The Guidelines
Published in epi Information 4/2024:
In short, the Guidelines ask European patent attorneys to:
- understand the AI tools they use, including how prompts are handled and how likely the model is to hallucinate;
- take all reasonable steps to keep client information confidential;
- find out, before using generative AI on a case, what the client wants;
- check AI-assisted work at least as carefully as work done by a competent human practitioner, since the attorney remains fully responsible for it.
Commentary in epi Information
The following articles discuss the Guidelines or their practical implications.
| Issue | Article | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 4/2024 | The Responsible Use of AI in the Patent Granting Process | Report on the seminar held before the Guidelines were adopted |
| 3/2025 | Beyond the blank page (PDF of the issue) | AI-assisted patent drafting, confidentiality, and how the epi guidance applies |
| 4/2025 | The epi AI Guidelines are attracting interest | Tim Powell reports on international interest in the Guidelines |
| 2/2026 | Risks (and Safeguards) in the Use of AI by IP Professionals | John Gray analyses professional obligations, confidentiality and practical AI risks |
| 2/2026 | Updates on the Use of AI (PDF of the issue) | Tim Powell and M. Stork discuss the future review of the Guidelines |
How 23VIP fits the Guidelines
23VIP is built for attorneys who must meet these obligations: you choose the model path (open-source models hosted in Europe by European providers, or frontier models used under business terms that prohibit training on your data), and every draft is presented for your review rather than filed automatically. See our Trust Center for details.
Read the AI Patent Drafting Guide