TAKEAWAY: The USPTO offers a new pilot program, which provides AI-generated search results, prior to regular examination by an Examiner.
In October, the USPTO announced it would launch the “Artificial Intelligence Search Automated Pilot Program” (which the PTO website refers to as “ASAP!”). According to the USPTO, the ASAP! is designed to “evaluate how modernizing examination to include an automated pre-examination search may improve examination quality and efficiency.”
Program participants will receive an Automated Search Results Notice (ASRN), which according to the USPTO “will provide an earlier communication [than an Office Action] regarding potential prior art issues in their application.” Applicants may, but need not, respond to the ASRN. The USPTO envisions that Applicants may, based on the ASRN, file a Preliminary Amendment, request deferral of examination, or abandon the application.
Original (i.e.., non-continuation) non-provisional applications filed between October 20, 2025, and April 20, 2026 are eligible to participate in ASAP! Thus, design, plant, continuation or divisional, and national stage applications are ineligible. Track One applications are eligible. Further, the USPTO is only accepting up to 1,600 patent applications in total for participation in ASAP!, with an expectation that the USPTO will accept at least 200 applications per technology center.
Participation in ASAP! requires electronic filing of a Petition form, as well as the corresponding petition fee, with the non-provisional utility application. The application must be filed in doc.x format.
For applications to be accepted into ASAP!, the USPTO will provide an AI-generated ARN prior to examination by a USPTO examiner. The ASRN will list up to 10 documents, in descending order of relevance, for the Applicant’s consideration. As stated above, Applicants are not required to respond to the ASRN.
Further details of the program are available at Artificial Intelligence Search Automated Pilot Program | USPTO, and Federal Register :: Automated Search Pilot Program.