Jerry Ma, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) director of emerging technology and first-ever chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO), announced that he is stepping down and heading to the private sector.
Ma, who first joined the USPTO in October 2020, announced his departure in a LinkedIn post.
“Being the USPTO’s first CAIO and emerging tech leader has been the adventure of a lifetime,” Ma wrote. “It has been deeply rewarding to serve under three administrations, all of which have recognized AI as a national priority.”
“The current administration will likely preside over the most consequential period thus far in AI’s history,” Ma said. “President Trump has appointed highly capable leaders at [the Office of Science and Technology Policy], the USPTO, and other critical offices for AI innovation, and I look forward to supporting and cheering on their work to maintain our nation’s leadership across this next industrial revolution.”
While Ma did not indicate where he is headed next, he said he’s “excited to advance AI innovation in a new capacity.”
Ma also noted that the USPTO’s work for stakeholders and the innovation economy “must not stop – and fortunately, that work will not stop.”
In January, the USPTO released its 2025 AI strategy that outlines plans to adopt AI into its operations and assess how the emerging technology impacts intellectual property rights.