The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking information on AI-powered image search tools to help patent examiners improve efficiency and strengthen reviews of global patents and prior art.

According to a contract-opportunity document, the proposed tool would support patent examiners by improving search completeness, particularly for highly visual design and utility patent applications where traditional text-based searches may fall short.

“As the volume of global intellectual property filings grows, relying solely on text-based or traditional classification searches … is no longer sufficient, particularly for highly visual design and utility applications. This AI-driven tool is intended to augment, rather than replace, existing USPTO enterprise search systems,” the RFI said.

The move comes as the USPTO faces a significant patent backlog. The agency reported approximately 1.26 million pending patent applications as of last month, including nearly 774,000 unexamined filings. Officials said fiscal year 2026 marked the first time in nearly a decade that patent output exceeded incoming filings.