A US computer scientist, Stephen Thaler, faced a setback in his attempt to register patents for inventions created by his AI system, DABUS, in the UK. The UK Intellectual Property Office refused his application, stating that a machine cannot be the inventor of a patent. Thaler appealed to the UK Supreme Court, which unanimously rejected his appeal, citing that an inventor must be a natural person according to UK patent law. However, the court clarified that its decision does not address the broader debate around the patentability of technical advances generated by AI-powered machines. This case highlights the ongoing legal challenges and discussions regarding AI and intellectual property rights.