Patent Office’s Jamie Holcombe Says Culture Blocking Federal AI Adoption

Jamie Holcombe, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s chief information officer and a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, has warned that the government is holding back artificial intelligence adoption.

Speaking at the recent Google Public Sector Forum, he called on federal leadership to change the workforce culture and incentive structure, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

Holcombe explained that many within the government are incentivized to ignore issues with existing platforms and resist new technology.

He said the government should take lessons from how the private sector operates, pointing to outdated agency budgets and burdensome compliance requirements for new products.

Aaron Weis, Google Public Sector managing director and a 4×24 member, noted in response that AI could expedite the process of filling out compliance forms.

Under Holcombe’s watch, USPTO has implemented AI and automation in various processes. In September, Venafi announced that the agency is using its Transport Layer Security Protect application to automate digital certificate processes.

Earlier, the USPTO said it planned to integrate AI into its intellectual property classification process to assist examiners.