If you’re building something with AI—code, models, tools—you’re probably moving fast. But when it comes time to protect that work, things get tricky. Especially when you’re turning your invention into a patent. One big problem? Generic language. It sneaks into your disclosure and weakens your patent without you even knowing it.
The Real Problem With Generic Language
What “Generic” Really Means
When we say “generic language,” we’re talking about words or phrases that are too broad, too vague, or too standard.
These are terms that could describe almost anything and don’t show what’s truly unique about your invention.
In the world of patents, that’s a huge problem. Patents are all about the details. The more specific you are, the better protected you are.
The more generic your wording, the easier it is for someone else to either copy your invention or claim that your patent doesn’t actually cover anything valuable.
This becomes even more of a problem when AI is writing parts of your disclosure.
AI tools are trained on massive amounts of text from across the internet. That’s their strength—and their weakness.
Because they’ve seen so many patterns, they often default to safe, standard, average language.
The kind of language that sounds fine but doesn’t say much.
So, instead of describing how your AI-powered workflow actually learns and improves over time, the output might say something like “the system leverages artificial intelligence to enhance performance.” Which… could mean anything.
Why It Happens in AI-Generated Text
When AI writes, it’s trying to be helpful. It wants to sound correct. It uses patterns it’s seen before.
So if you feed it an invention summary and ask it to write a disclosure, it might give you one that reads smoothly but lacks punch.
It smooths over the unique stuff. It rounds off the sharp edges. And that’s exactly the problem.
Patents are not about smooth language. They’re about precision. You don’t want rounded edges—you want sharp, clear lines.
The AI’s default behavior works against this. Even if it’s technically correct, if it’s too broad, it’s not helping you.
Another issue: AI doesn’t always understand what makes your invention new. Unless you spell it out clearly, it can’t prioritize the right parts.
That’s why founders need to stay in the loop, guiding the disclosure process and making sure the important pieces don’t get lost in translation.
How It Hurts Your Patent
Let’s say your startup is building a new kind of AI-based fraud detection engine.
You’ve trained a model using real-time behavior data, and you’ve built a scoring system that adapts to the user’s past actions. It’s smart. It’s fast. It’s different.
But your AI-generated disclosure says: “The system uses machine learning to detect fraudulent activity.”
Now your patent looks just like every other fraud detection system out there. You’ve stripped out what makes yours different.
A patent examiner sees that and thinks, “This isn’t new.” Competitors see that and think, “Easy to work around.”
And the worst part? You might not even realize it. Because it all sounds right. But sounding right doesn’t cut it.
You need to show exactly how it works, not just say that it does.
Why Most People Miss This
Most inventors are focused on building. They’re not thinking like a patent examiner or a competitor.
They just want to protect what they’ve made. So when AI helps write their disclosure, they trust it. They assume the language is good enough.
But good enough isn’t good at all if it means weak protection.
This is where PowerPatent comes in. Our platform combines smart AI tools and real patent attorneys. The software speeds things up.
The attorneys make sure your disclosure is tight, focused, and specific. So you’re not flying blind—and you’re not stuck fixing it later.
We’ve seen too many startups waste time and money on patents that don’t hold up. We’re here to stop that.
How to Spot Generic Language Before It Hurts You
The Warning Signs
You don’t need to be a patent expert to notice weak language. You just need to know what to look for.
Think of it like code smells—patterns that seem okay on the surface but signal deeper problems.
If a sentence sounds like it could apply to dozens of other products, that’s a red flag.
If it repeats buzzwords without getting into what’s actually happening under the hood, that’s another.
And if the same phrase shows up in every disclosure written by AI, chances are it’s too generic to be useful.
Here’s a test: read a sentence from your disclosure and ask yourself, “What does this actually mean?
Could a competitor say the same thing about their tech?” If the answer is yes, the language probably needs work.
The Cost of Waiting
Some founders figure they’ll fix the language later—after filing. But here’s the catch: once you file your patent, your disclosure is locked in.
You can’t go back and add details later. If your first filing is vague, the damage is done.
This is why generic language is so dangerous. It looks harmless.
It feels safe. But it quietly weakens your protection at the exact moment you need it to be airtight.
And when you’re moving fast, with investor meetings, launch deadlines, and customer demos, it’s tempting to take shortcuts.
But skipping the hard work of clear, specific language now means you could end up with a patent that doesn’t protect you later—just when you need it most.
The Fix Isn’t Hard—If You Do It Early
The good news? You don’t need to be a legal expert to tighten up your language. You just need to get specific.
Talk about the structure. The steps. The logic behind how your system works. Don’t settle for surface-level claims.
For example, don’t say “The system optimizes user engagement.” Say what inputs it uses. How it defines engagement.
What the algorithm changes in response. The more of that detail you put in early, the stronger your patent will be.
This is where PowerPatent really shines.
Our software helps you capture the exact flow of your invention—how the data moves, what the components do, what’s new about the architecture.
Then a real patent attorney checks the disclosure to make sure it holds up under pressure.
It’s faster than hiring a firm. More accurate than AI alone. And way more defensible in the long run.
Why This Matters Even More With AI Inventions
If your startup is building AI tools, the risk of generic language is even higher.
That’s because a lot of AI models use similar frameworks—so the way you describe them is what sets your invention apart.
If your disclosure just says “a neural network trained on labeled data,” that’s not going to cut it.
You need to explain how the model was trained, what kind of data you used, how it’s applied, what makes it perform better than others.
That’s where your edge is. And that’s what your patent needs to capture.
Otherwise, it’s like writing a movie review that just says “the film was entertaining.” Sure, that’s technically an opinion.
But it doesn’t tell anyone why the film worked, or what made it different.
The same goes for your invention. Vague language might get you through the draft stage. But it won’t protect your work when the stakes get real.
What AI Gets Wrong (And How to Guide It Right)
Why AI Needs Your Help
AI is a great assistant. But it’s not a mind reader. It doesn’t know what parts of your invention are most important unless you tell it.
It doesn’t know what parts are new unless you explain them.
And it doesn’t know what your competitors are doing—so it can’t help you stand out unless you’re clear about your edge.
When you let AI write without direction, it falls back on the most common language it’s seen.
It uses generic phrases that appear in a thousand other patents. That’s not because your invention isn’t special—it’s because the AI doesn’t know how it’s special.
So if you want your AI-generated disclosure to actually help you, you need to steer it. Give it the unique pieces.
Spell out the details. Show it the flow of your system, the structure of your model, the steps that make your process work.
If you do that, you can still move fast. You just won’t end up with a disclosure that sounds like it was copied from a textbook.
How to Feed AI the Right Prompts
Let’s say you’re using AI to help write the first draft of your patent disclosure. The secret to getting better output? Give it better input.
Instead of asking, “Write a disclosure for my AI fraud detection engine,” try something like, “Write a disclosure that explains a fraud detection system where behavior data is captured in real-time, scored against a user-specific model, and used to generate adaptive thresholds.”
See the difference?
That second prompt gives the AI actual ingredients to work with. It focuses the output. It raises the floor—and the ceiling—of the draft you get back.
That doesn’t mean the draft will be perfect. But it’ll be way closer to what you need.
And when you combine that with expert review from PowerPatent’s real patent attorneys, you end up with something solid. Specific. Defensible.
Where AI Still Falls Short
Even with good prompts, AI still has blind spots.
It doesn’t understand legal strategy. It can’t anticipate how a competitor might try to work around your claims.
It can’t adjust your language to make sure it fits what the patent office expects in your field. That’s what real humans are for.
So while AI is amazing for speed and structure, it’s not your final step. It’s your first draft. Your fast start.
The key is pairing that speed with real legal know-how. That’s the combo that wins.
PowerPatent was built around that belief. We give you the tools to move fast—and the oversight to do it right.
So you don’t waste time on revisions. Or worse, end up with a patent that sounds impressive but doesn’t actually protect you.
Getting Specific: The Language That Actually Protects You
Say What It Does, Not Just What It Is
Here’s the trick: generic language often describes what your invention is, but not what it does or how it works. That’s not enough.
It’s like saying “It’s a smart assistant app.” Okay, but what does it actually do?
How does it assist? What’s smart about it? Is it voice-controlled? Is it learning over time? Does it integrate with tools in a way others don’t?
If you just describe the concept, the patent office sees that as an “idea,” not an invention.
Patents don’t protect ideas—they protect systems, steps, logic, design, and technical improvements.
So your job is to walk through those technical steps. Talk about the structure, the decision-making, the flow of data.
Talk about what triggers what. When this happens, what’s next?
That’s how you move from an idea to a real invention—and from a weak patent to a strong one.
AI can help you structure all this, but only if you give it that layer of specificity upfront.
Watch Out for These Phrases
Some phrases show up in almost every bad disclosure. Not because they’re wrong, but because they say too little.
Phrases like “leverages machine learning,” “improves performance,” “optimizes user experience,” or “provides a better interface.”
These are placeholders. They sound nice, but they’re empty.
They don’t say how. And the “how” is what the patent office—and your competitors—care about most.
What kind of machine learning? Trained on what? Using what inputs? What performance metrics?
What changes to the user interface actually make it better?
Answering these kinds of questions takes a bit more effort, but it changes everything.
It turns your disclosure from fluff to substance. From surface-level to strong.
That’s what we help you do at PowerPatent. We built our platform to guide you through this process without overwhelming you.
You don’t have to write like a lawyer. You just have to explain your tech clearly—and we help you do that in a way the patent office understands.
The Confidence Boost That Comes With Clarity
Once you start thinking this way—clear, specific, grounded in real structure—it actually makes everything else easier.
You’ll pitch better. You’ll explain your tech better to investors.
You’ll understand your own product roadmap better, because you’re not just talking in buzzwords—you’re talking in systems, in flow, in cause and effect.
And when you go to file your patent, you won’t feel like you’re guessing. You’ll know what makes your invention different.
You’ll be able to point to it in plain language. That’s the kind of confidence that matters when you’re moving fast and building something new.
That’s also what gets you a patent that holds up. One that protects your edge. One that gives your startup real value.
The Role of Structure in a Solid Disclosure
Why Sequence Matters
It’s not just what you say. It’s the order you say it in. A strong disclosure walks through your invention in a logical, step-by-step way.
It doesn’t just throw in keywords. It shows how one part leads to the next. Like code. Like systems design. Like how your product actually works.
When disclosures are vague, it’s often because they jump around. They describe parts without showing how those parts connect.
They list features without explaining the flow. And that breaks the story.
A clear structure does something powerful: it makes your invention understandable.
Not just to the patent office, but to investors, partners, and even your future self when you’re updating or expanding the tech.
That’s why PowerPatent helps you lay things out in the right order. We ask the right questions at the right time—so the structure almost builds itself.
That way, when our attorney reviews it, they’re not fixing chaos. They’re refining clarity.
How AI Handles Structure (And Where It Struggles)
AI is actually great at structure—if you feed it the right building blocks. It can take raw ideas and turn them into organized outputs.
It can turn a messy explanation into a clean flow. That’s one of its biggest strengths.
But again, if you don’t give it enough detail up front, it just mimics structure.
It makes something that looks well-organized but doesn’t actually say anything meaningful.
It’s like getting a well-formatted report with no real insight. It feels polished. But it doesn’t protect you.
So when you use AI, your job is to give it the backbone: what happens first, what triggers what, what changes in response to what.
Then let the AI help smooth it out.
That’s what founders love about our platform. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
We help you get those details down fast—and then AI + attorney review turns it into something strong.
Where Real Review Still Matters
Even with perfect structure, even with great detail, you still need a legal expert to check your work.
Because patents aren’t just about saying what your invention is—they’re about saying it in a way that fits the rules. And those rules are complex.
You could describe something perfectly—but if you miss the phrasing the patent office expects, or if you leave a key part out of your claim, your patent might still fail.
That’s why structure plus review matters so much.
At PowerPatent, we don’t leave that to chance. Every draft gets reviewed by a real patent attorney—someone who understands tech and strategy.
Someone who makes sure you’re not just describing your invention clearly, but protecting it completely.
Because that’s the whole point. Not to sound smart. But to be protected.
Turning Technical Depth Into Patent Strength
Details Are Not Optional
Here’s something most people don’t realize: depth is your best defense.
When you’re building a technical product—especially something involving AI, models, or unique code architecture—you’ve already done the hard thinking.
You’ve built something complex. But when it comes time to file, too many people leave those details out.
Not on purpose. Usually because they think they’re “too technical” or “not important” to include in the patent.
Or worse—they assume the AI they’re using already knows which parts matter.
But here’s the truth: if the detail is what makes your tech different, it’s what makes your patent strong.
If you use an AI model, talk about the training method, the input structure, the evaluation loop, and how outputs are handled differently than other systems.
If you’re building a new workflow engine, talk about the state transitions, the trigger points, and the way it scales across multiple processes.
These aren’t “extras.” They’re the foundation of a real patent.
The more technical specificity you include, the harder it becomes for someone else to copy what you’ve built—or for an examiner to dismiss your invention as obvious.
And you don’t have to dumb it down. The patent system is built for detail. So give it the truth of what you built—just in a way that’s structured and readable.
The Right Kind of Technical Language
This doesn’t mean dumping raw code or pasting your GitHub readme into the disclosure. The goal isn’t to confuse or impress.
The goal is to explain what’s new in your system in a way that’s clear, thorough, and usable.
Think about how you’d explain your stack to a new engineer joining your team. Not surface-level. Not marketing fluff.
But not buried in low-level code either. That sweet spot in the middle? That’s what you want in your disclosure.
Use real terms. Talk about logic. Talk about architecture. Talk about what’s different about how your tool learns, applies, scales, responds, or integrates.
That’s what AI can’t make up for if you leave it out. And it’s what a real patent attorney can help you polish—if you put it in.
That’s why PowerPatent gives you the tools to describe your invention like an engineer, and then turns that into something a patent examiner can work with.
We keep it fast. We keep it smart. But we don’t cut corners.
How This Builds Real Value
Let’s be real: you’re not filing a patent just to have a piece of paper. You’re filing it to protect your edge.
To increase your company’s value. To give investors confidence. To make sure no one else gets to claim what you’ve built.
That only works if your patent actually holds up. And that only happens if your disclosure is deep enough to support your claims.
This is why generic language is so dangerous—it doesn’t just make your patent weaker. It makes your company’s protection weaker. It puts a crack in the foundation you’re building on.
That’s why every technical detail you include is like a brick in the wall. The more precise you are, the harder it is to challenge your patent.
The more clear your language, the easier it is for your team and your backers to see what you own.
This isn’t about filing more. It’s about filing better. That’s the PowerPatent way.
Wrapping It Up
You’re building fast. You’re solving real problems. You’re creating value with every line of code and every decision you make. That deserves protection. Real protection. Not generic language. Not surface-level summaries. But disclosures that tell the truth about what you built—and why it matters.
Leave a Reply