AI to power patent system overhaul: USPTO chief

Washington, March 26 (IANS) The head of the US Patent and Trademark Office has said artificial intelligence will drive a sweeping overhaul of the patent system, as he defended reforms aimed at cutting delays and improving patent quality.

Testifying before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Wednesday (local time), USPTO Director John Squires said the agency is deploying AI tools to accelerate patent examination and reduce a growing backlog of applications.

“AI tools will become our examiners’ superpowers,” Squires told lawmakers, adding that new systems can identify prior art faster and help examiners handle increasingly complex filings.

He said the office had already begun integrating AI across patent and trademark processes, including tools that generate search results within seconds instead of months.

Squires framed the effort as part of a broader push to modernise the agency and strengthen the US innovation ecosystem. He described the USPTO as the “Central Bank of innovation,” saying each patent or trademark represents “a potential job, a new business, a competitive advantage.”

The agency is also targeting a reduction in its backlog of unexamined patent applications, which had risen to historic levels. Squires said efforts are underway to cut the backlog significantly while improving patent quality.

But the reforms drew sharp scrutiny from lawmakers, with Democrats warning that policy changes could weaken oversight and politicise a traditionally independent agency.

Ranking member Hank Johnson said the USPTO had been “drawn squarely” into partisan politics and raised concerns about employee morale and shifting rules.

“When policy shifts with the political whims of an administration, it is American innovation that pays the price,” Johnson said.

A key point of contention was the agency’s handling of patent challenges under the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Critics argued that limiting repeated challenges could allow weak patents to stand and increase litigation costs.

Squires defended the changes, saying they are designed to prevent abuse of the system and bring finality to disputes.

“There should be a point in time where there’s quiet title… and it’s got to be adjudicated once and for all,” he said.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about foreign influence and national security risks, including the role of foreign-backed entities in patent disputes.

Squires said the USPTO has taken steps to tighten disclosure rules and block foreign sovereign actors from participating in certain proceedings.

The hearing also touched on a controversial trademark filing linked to a proposed “Board of Peace” initiative, with some lawmakers questioning potential conflicts of interest.

The USPTO received over 475,000 new patent applications in fiscal year 2025, reflecting steady growth in demand for intellectual property protection.

Squires said AI and IT modernisation would be central to managing this demand, alongside continued funding through user fees.