An internal memoobtained by WIREDthrough a public records request detailed the ins and outs of the ban.
But that doesnt mean the Patent Office isnt using AI at allquite the opposite.
Beliveau told Forbes that his office wasnt allowed to use LLMs at all.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seal is displayed inside the headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S., on Friday, April 4, 2014.© Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
This does not mean that the Patent Office is ignoring AI.
Nor is there a general obligation to disclose to the USPTO the use of such tools.
Government policies regarding the use of generative AI are all over the place.
The USPTO and the Department of Defense are both forward-thinking, compared to many of their peers.
In September, multiple agencies published reports on how theyre using AI, and the results werent great.
Adoption is slow across the board.
The agenciesdont have enough moneyor talent to develop their own tools.
Meanwhile, the Patent Office has been plugging away at this problem for years.
It rolled out its own internal search tool several years ago.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
