USPTO Launches AI Examination Tools – What This Means for Trademark Applicants

On March 19, 2026, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the launch of its new AI-powered examination tool, the Trademark Classification Agentic Codification Tool (“Class ACT”), designed to streamline trademark application pre‑processing. Class ACT automatically assigns international Classes, design search codes, and pseudo marks to applications that previously required months of manual preparation. What once took up to five months can now be done in minutes.

For trademark owners and applicants, this means faster examination, quicker searches, and earlier clarity on application status. The process will particularly benefit marks with logos, designs, unconventional spellings, or missing classifications, which historically slowed the process. Although USPTO staff still review the Class ACT’s work, the data becomes available almost immediately, benefiting both Examining Attorneys and the public.

The practical impact for clients is shorter delays before substantive examination begins, improved search accuracy, and reduced backlog risk caused by classification bottlenecks. By automating administrative tasks, the USPTO is enabling examiners to focus on substantive legal review rather than intake logistics.

Class ACT is one of many new technology initiatives undertaken by the USPTO in recent years. In 2025, it used new technical tools to identify and cancel thousands of fraudulent trademarks. The USPTO has indicated that additional AI tools are forthcoming, signaling continued modernization that should further improve speed, consistency, and predictability in trademark prosecution.