General Dynamics and its Information Technology (IT) division was awarded a contract with a one-year estimated value of $50 million by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). By means of the contract GDIT will apply its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) technologies to the improvement of the USPTO’s Intelligent Automation and Innovative Support Services (IAISS) as part of a blanket purchase agreement (BPA). The contract has four 12-month options.
“GDIT has supported USPTO in its mission to foster innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth for nearly 20 years, providing high-quality and timely examination of patent and trademark applications, guiding domestic and international intellectual property policy, and delivering intellectual-property information and education worldwide,” said Christopher Hegedus, vice-president and general manager of GDIT’s Diplomacy, Commerce, and Government Operations business area. “With this new work, we will bring our AI, ML, and robotic process-automation expertise to help USPTO develop solutions that accelerate the patent and trademark process to benefit American innovators.”
GDIT will support USPTO in the use of numerous advanced technologies, including AI and ML, to accelerate the processes of assigning and approving patents and trademarks. GDIT will apply different solutions to speed applications and requests, detect fraudulent transactions, and identify opportunities for operational efficiencies to cut costs, as part of efforts to reduce patent and trademark application backlogs. USPTO will use the GDIT-supplied solutions to transform how the agency operates, by changing jobs and functions within the agency so that they better fit the needs of the organization as it is enhanced by its added AI and ML functionality.
“This contract represents an important step in helping USTPO advance the broader federal government goal to advance the adoption of AI and the way it can be applied to enhance machine potential and expand human capacity,” said Paul Nedzbala, senior vice-president for GDIT’s Federal Civilian Division.