AI Innovation: U.S. Patent Office to Hold Public Meeting in Dallas on Emerging Tech, IP Challenges

Innovators across North Texas and entrepreneurs all over the U.S. are racing to launch (and patent) the latest breakthrough AI. That can lead to IP policy issues as emerging tech hits the market. On February 8, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will a public meeting to discuss how to promote innovation in AI and Machine Learning tech, to be held virtually and in person at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas.

"The takeaways will shape future work on AI and ET policy," says USPTO Director Kathi Vidal.

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Throw a rock in North Texas—or Silicon Valley or Austin or NYC—and chances are you’ll hit someone who’s working on an AI breakthrough. But please don’t do that. It wouldn’t be nice, and according to the U.S. Patent Office, the entrepreneur would probably already be struggling IP policy issues related to their innovation.

So it seems perfect timing for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to hold a public meeting to discuss how to promote innovation in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies. It’s doing just that with the third meeting in its AI/ET Partnership Series, to be held virtually and in person at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas on Wednesday, February 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The USPTO meeting is being held in collaboration with the Dallas Bar Association Intellectual Property section and the State Bar of Texas IP section.

During the “AI-Driven Innovation” event, panelists from the USPTO and stakeholders from academia, industry, and law firms will explore various IP policy issues impacting AI-driven innovation, focused on three key topics:

“AI-Driven Innovation: The Current State of Play,” a deep dive into the current state of AI-driven innovation in different technology areas and potential IP considerations relating to these AI-driven innovations.  

“AI Inventorship,” offering perspectives from various stakeholders on the current state of AI technology in the invention creation process and how to address inventions created with significant AI contributions. 

“Unanticipated IP Challenges from AI-Driven Innovation,” will feature a discussion of the challenges from an enforcement perspective. For example, what downstream impacts to IP enforcement and litigation arise from introducing black-box AI to the inventive process? Do applicants have to disclose AI-contributions in their patent applications to ensure validity of their patents? 

USPTO director: ‘Takeaways will shape future work on AI and ET policy’

Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Director of the USPTO [Photo: Jay Premack]

Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and the USPTO director, wrote about the series of discussions in a blog post last summer.

“The USPTO plays an important role in incentivizing innovation in critical technologies such as AI and other emerging technologies (ET) (e.g., quantum computing, synthetic biology, blockchain, precision medicine, and virtual reality),” Vidal wrote.

Vidal added that the USPTO aims to help maximize “these innovations’
widespread impact to enhance our country’s competitiveness, economic prosperity, and national security, and to solve world problems.”

“The purpose of these meetings is to hear from the innovation community and to promote greater awareness, openness, and inclusivity on ongoing and future AI and ET efforts,” Vidal wrote. “The takeaways will shape future work on AI and ET policy and will inform the broader U.S. government’s approach to AI and ET.”

How to register for the free public event

The meeting will also include a public listening session. People who want to speak at the listening session must register by February 2.

This event is free and open to the public, but in-person attendance is limited, so the USPTO suggests registering early by going here.

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