Slepian-led patent advisory committee issues AI report
University of Arizona Health Sciences
The Patent Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office submitted its fiscal year 2024 annual report to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Judiciary Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives recently. Marvin J. Slepian, MD, JD, Regents Professor of medicine, medical imaging and surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and biomedical engineering at the University of Arizona College of Engineering, is one of nine members of the committee.
This year, the PPAC focused on six key areas, with Slepian leading the subcommittee that wrote the section assessing the impact of AI and its applicability as a tool in service of innovation. Other sections delved into topics such as the link between patents and innovation to global competitiveness; how to expand outreach and education regarding patents and innovation; and reducing the backlog of unexamined patent applications without sacrificing quality.
The report highlights that artificial intelligence impacts the USPTO and inventions in three broad areas: AI as a contributor to the process of invention; AI as the subject matter for invention; and AI as a tool to facilitate and propel the workflow of the USPTO.