The impact of artificial intelligence on intellectual property rights in Albania: Between innovation and regulatory challenges

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has entered almost every aspect of contemporary life, impacting technology, healthcare, education, and also the intellectual property (IP) sector. All over the world, AI has been integrated towards the creation of original works in art, music, programming and other creative fields, challenging traditional concepts of intellectual property and bringing new challenges to the existing IP legal framework. This issue is particularly sensitive not only in Albania, where legislation and judicial practice are not yet harmonized with the technological challenges of the digital age, but also in the international context. Albania, aiming to integrate in the European common market, is faced with the need to harmonize the legal framework and institutions in the face of this new technological reality. This paper analyzes the impact of AI on the creation, management and protection of intellectual property rights in Albania – addressing issues such as the authorship of AI-generated creations, the use of protected data during model training, and the lack of technical and legal capacity to address cases involving advanced technology. Through a comparative analysis with European practices, concrete steps are suggested for the impact of AI in the creation, management and protection of intellectual property rights in Albania and provide recommendations for legal regulation in line with international standards and the directions being followed by the EU.