Artificially intelligent machines may need to exercise some patience when it comes to being named inventor on patents.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sounded cool to Brown Neri Smith & Khan partner Ryan Abbott’s arguments Monday on behalf of Stephen Thaler and The Artificial Inventor Project. They argue that the AIs are responsible for more and more innovation, and that the U.S. patent system must recognize that fact to promote progress in the useful arts.