USPTO Appointed New Artificial Intelligence Chief

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has named Jonathan Spencer as its new Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a stack of glass folders on a plinth, symbolizing patent modernization. — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has appointed Jonathan Spencer as its new Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer to modernize agency systems. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has appointed Jonathan Spencer to lead the agency’s artificial intelligence and emerging technology initiatives. Based at the agency's headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, Spencer will oversee the development and deployment of AI systems to modernize workflows.

Why it matters

The appointment aims to help the USPTO modernize its systems to better serve innovators while addressing the complex policy challenges surrounding artificial intelligence in intellectual property. Spencer is expected to shape future agency policies regarding the evolving role of AI technology.

Spencer previously scaled operations at Waymo, moving from 5,000 to 5 million weekly driverless miles over his four-year tenure. He holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from Princeton and a patent for phased array radar design.

The players

Jonathan Spencer

He is the newly appointed Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer for the USPTO who previously worked at Waymo and holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from Princeton University.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

This federal agency is responsible for granting patents and registering trademarks, and it is currently headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

The details

Spencer will leverage his technical background to advance the use of AI tools across the USPTO. This shift is designed to improve the agency's internal processes and address how intellectual property rights interact with modern machine learning systems.

The USPTO announced the appointment of Jonathan Spencer on September 22, 2026.

The Tech Race

The appointment follows the pattern of institutional focus set by the agency's existing Guidance on Use of Artificial Intelligence in Patent Prosecution. This move signals a broader transition toward integrating automated systems into the federal government's regulatory framework.

Innovators and patent filers can expect updated policies regarding how AI-generated work is handled by the government. These changes aim to streamline the patent application process through more efficient digital workflows.

The takeaway

The addition of a dedicated AI chief highlights the government's push to keep intellectual property law relevant in the age of automation. Professionals should monitor upcoming policy announcements as the agency clarifies its stance on AI-assisted inventions.