Gettyimages.com/Dmitrii Balabanov

The agency wants to incorporate more artificial intelligence techniques and methods into the patent examination process.

• Contracts
• Accenture
• Top 100

Accenture Federal Services has secured a five-year, $75 million contract aimed at enhancing the use of artificial intelligence and modernizing patent examinations at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The USPTO processes hundreds of thousands of patent applications, all of which undergo thorough reviews before a patent is granted.

For the past four years, Accenture Federal has collaborated with the USPTO to explore innovative working methods, which includes developing AI tools for patent examinations. Rasha Nahas, managing director for Accenture Federal Services and client account lead for the Commerce Department, emphasized the importance of this initiative.

Denise Zheng, Accenture Federal Services’ chief AI officer, stated, “Our team is helping the agency strengthen the IP system, improve operations, and build a roadmap for future modernization by scaling what was initially a pilot prototype into an AI-based production environment with a suite of tools available to patent examiners and the public.”