AI Roundtable with USPTO Acting Commissioner for Patents Barry Schindler and Chief AI Officer Jonathan Spencer

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be hosting a roundtable with Acting Commissioner for Patents Barry Schindler and Chief AI Officer Jonathan Spencer on Thursday, October 15, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at the USPTO Southwest Regional Outreach Office, located at 207 South Houston Street, Suite 159, Dallas, Texas 75202. All details, including RSVP criteria, are included in the attached special announcement. RSVP via email to AIroundtable@uspto.gov by Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Note: The Government contemplates utilizing the Alternative Competition Method in accordance with the Patent and Trademark Office Acquisition Guidelines (PTAG) and the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act 35 U.S.C. 2(b)(4)(A). This Special Notice and any information resulting from the roundtable and/or product demonstrations is intended as preliminary market information gathering which the USPTO may use to determine which vendor(s) is/are the most likely to successfully meet the agency’s needs and are thereby eligible to participate in an alternative competition. As a result of this market research, any resulting solicitation may be issued to the limited number of qualified vendor(s). This Special Notice is not a request for competitive proposals. The Government will not utilize formal evaluation criteria for market research associated with PTAG 6.1.1. The Government may review resulting market research results to determine which vendors are most likely to successfully meet the agency’s requirements for subsequent AI-related Patent Application/Examination, and related requirements.