Start by recognizing that creating products isn't about writing code or using "AI" to write code faster. It isn't a question of patents. It's a question of identifying a need, creating a solution, marketing it correctly, etc. I see threads on here frequently that asks how one stays competitive with "AI" and what should they learn. The answer is and was always: learn the business/industry, learn to communicate, and learn to identify opportunity. That's worth many times more than the fastest coder. It's not even close.

Customers often point to ease-of-doing-business, contract terms, complementary services as equally-differentiating to any feature/cost measure.

A vendor with average features and average price yet is otherwise prompt, efficient and non-abusive can easily distinguish themselves as best-in-class.

Perhaps we will see renewed interest in software patents.