The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking industry input on AI and IT tools to improve the efficiency and accuracy of its patent and trademark examination processes. 

“The USPTO is seeking American industry partners motivated to help improve the patent and trademark examination processes and fuel a national transformation of AI infrastructure with the goal of reducing application backlogs and protecting applicant data from domestic and foreign IP theft,” it said in a request for information (RFI) posted on SAM.gov.

USPTO aims to deepen its understanding of the commercial market to improve the efficiency of the patent examination process through the use of low- or no-cost AI tools. These tools would support specific examination tasks and help ensure greater consistency in the quality of work produced.

Earlier this year, USPTO unveiled a new artificial intelligence strategy aimed to integrate AI technology into its operations to streamline and enhance the processing of patent and copyright applications.