In the inaugural episode of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's Trade War Podcast, host Stan McCoy discusses recent developments and challenges in global trade policy with Ambassador Susan C. Schwab and Rob Atkinson. The conversation covers the latest U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, the implications of President Trump's protectionist stance, and the strategic importance of recognizing China as the main adversary. Subscribe and rate The Trade War Podcast: YouTube ...
Feb 24, 2025•47 min•Ep. 99
What is the correct economic strategy for a nation? Rob and Jackie sat down with Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher, authors of Industrial Policy for the United States , to discuss how industrial policy, done right, will develop the kind of economy the United States wants. Mentioned Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher, Industrial Policy for the United States , (Cambridge University Press, November 2024). Ian Fletcher, Free Trade Doesn't Work: What Should Replace It and Why , (Coalition for a Prosperou...
Dec 16, 2024•28 min•Ep. 98
Data-informed and evidence-based decision making can drive optimum outcomes in local governments. Rob and Jackie sat down with Rochelle Haynes, managing director of What Works Cities, to discuss how technology and innovation are being used in cities to equitably deliver services and solve problems. Related Rochelle Haynes, “ How Cities Can Harness the Power of AI in 2024 ,” (What Works Cities, 2024) Ash Johnson. “ Balancing Privacy and Innovation in Smart Cities and Communities ,” (ITIF, 2023)....
Oct 07, 2024•30 min•Ep. 97
Europe has been enormously unsuccessful in creating substantial digital businesses for over three decades. Rob and Jackie sat down with David Evans, chairman of Market Platform Dynamics, to discuss why it’s imperative that Europe ends this ‘digital winter’. Mentioned David S. Evans, “ Why Europe Must End Its 30-Year Digital Winter to Ensure Its Long-Run Future ,” (SSRN, April 2024). Robert D. Atkinson and David Moschella. Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Tod...
Sep 09, 2024•26 min•Ep. 96
It’s easy to get excited about new breakthroughs, but the real power lies in diffusing technological advances throughout the entire economy. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jeffrey Ding, Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, to discuss how technological revolutions influence competition and the implications for the United States and China. Mentioned Jeffrey Ding. Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition , (Princeton Unive...
Aug 05, 2024•27 min•Ep. 95
Over the last several years, public opinion on technology and the use of data has shifted from excitement to skepticism to fear. Rob and Jackie sat down with Daniel Castro, Vice President of ITIF and Director of the Center for Data Innovation, to discuss the negative effect of techlash on human outcomes. Related Robert D. Atkinson and David Moschella. Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today’s Innovation Economy , (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024). Robert D. Atkinson...
Jul 01, 2024•21 min•Ep. 94
The future will be much improved if society fights the fear of technology. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jim Pethokoukis, Senior Fellow and DeWitt Wallace Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss how the sci-fi fantasy of the future isn’t as far off as we think. Mentioned James Pethokoukis. The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised , (Center Street, 2023). Robert D. Atkinson and David Moschella. Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy...
Jun 10, 2024•24 min•Ep. 93
Climate change is a global problem, with two polarized viewpoints making it difficult to find a solution. Rob and Jackie sat down with Robin Gaster, Director of Research at ITIF's Center for Clean Energy Innovation, to discuss how price/performance parity in green technologies can bridge the gap between left and right viewpoints on clean energy. Mentioned Robin Gaster, Robert D. Atkinson, and Ed Rightor, “ Beyond Force: A Realist Pathway Through the Green Transition ,” (ITIF, July 2023). Re...
May 13, 2024•19 min•Ep. 92
The past few years have seen a remarkable rise in the quality and quantity of deepfakes. Rob and Jackie discussed the rise of deepfakes with Ryan Long, Vice-Chairman of the California Lawyers Association, Licensing and Technology Transactions Group, Intellectual Property Section, and explored how to harness this technology responsibly while preventing abuse. Mentioned Henry A Kissinger, Eric Schmidt and Daniel Huttenlocher. The Age of AI: And Our Human Future , (Little, Brown and Company, 2021)....
Apr 22, 2024•25 min•Ep. 91
The term ‘supply chain’ is relatively new, but the activities involved are not as new as we think. Rob and Jackie sat down with Yossi Sheffi, Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, to discuss the complex history of supply chains and how technology and AI will continue to evolve supply chain processes in the future. Mentioned Yossi Sheffi. The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, A.I., and the Future of Work , (MIT CTL Media, 2023). Related Stephen Ezell and Stefan Koester, “...
Apr 01, 2024•25 min•Ep. 90
Amidst the burgeoning advancements in autonomous vehicles (AVs), striking a balance between expectation and reality emerges as a challenge. Rob and Jackie sat down with Richard Mudge, president and founder of Compass Transportation and Technology, to discuss how innovations in the world of AVs can affect safety, productivity, and job creation. Mentioned Michigan.gov. “ I-94 Connected & Automated Vehicle (CAV) Corridor Proposed Project ,” Michigan Department of Transportation. Related Aswin P...
Mar 11, 2024•21 min•Ep. 89
While quantum computing technology is maturing more slowly than other innovations, its potential is vast. Rob and Jackie sat down with Murray Thom, vice president of product management at D-Wave, to discuss quantum computing applications already being put into place, and possible advancements in the future. Mentioned Hodan Omaar. “ The U.S. Approach to Quantum Policy ,” (Center for Data Innovation, October 2023). Congress.gov. " Text - H.R.6227 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): National Quantum...
Feb 20, 2024•30 min•Ep. 88
Used to its full potential, artificial intelligence (AI) can assist employees, improve interactions with customers, and increase efficiency. Rob and Jackie sat down with Nitin Mittal, a principal with Deloitte Consulting, to discuss how AI is being used to enhance work environments. Mentioned Thomas H. Davenport and Nitin Mittal. All-in On AI: How Smart Companies Win Big with Artificial Intelligence , (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023). “ State of AI in the Enterprise, 5th edition report ,” (...
Jan 29, 2024•30 min•Ep. 87
Forced local data storage requirements are at the heart of both digital protectionism and digital authoritarianism. Rob and Jackie sat down with Nigel Cory, associate director covering trade policy at ITIF, to discuss how data localization reduces trade, slows productivity, and increases prices. Related Nigel Cory, “ How the G7 Can Use ‘Data Free Flow With Trust’ to Build Global Data Governance ,” (ITIF, July 2023). Nigel Cory, “ USTR Tai’s Justification to Take a Time-out on Digital Trade Does ...
Jan 08, 2024•30 min•Ep. 85
To flourish, innovation hubs need the right combination of talent, tech, funding, and market access. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jessica Corrigan, the director of M&T's Tech Academy, to discuss how smaller regions can become powerful innovation ecosystems. Mentioned Robert D. Atkinson, “ Comments to the Commerce Department Regarding Implementation of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program ,” (ITIF, March 2023). Related Matt Ashare, “ At M&T Bank, modernization and talen...
Dec 04, 2023•30 min•Ep. 85
There is a troubling chasm between trade policy and competition policy. Rob and Jackie sat down with Alden Abbott, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, and Shanker Singham, one of the world's leading international trade and competition economists, to discuss how to bridge the gap between barriers at the border and conditions of competition inside the border. Mentioned Shanker Singham and Alden F. Abbott. Trade, Competition and Domestic Regulatory Policy , (Taylor & Francis Gro...
Nov 13, 2023•30 min•Ep. 84
China has had a dismissive attitude about its obligations as a member of World Trade Organization (WTO) ever since it joined the organization. Rob and Jackie sat down with Dennis Shea, executive director of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, to discuss how China’s current non-market economic system is simply incompatible with WTO norms. Mentioned Dennis Shea. China’s Trade-Disruptive Economic Model and the Implications for the WTO . (U.S. Mission to International Organizations ...
Oct 23, 2023•30 min•Ep. 83
Export controls exist at the perilous intersection of economic policy and national security. What could go wrong? Rob and Jackie sat down with Kevin Wolf, a partner at Akin Gump, to discuss how to strike the right balance between keeping certain advanced technologies away from adversarial militaries without locking U.S. firms out of global markets. Related Robert D. Atkinson, “ Export Controls Shrink the Global Markets U.S. Semiconductors Need to Survive ” (ITIF, July 2023). Stephen Ezell and Ca...
Oct 02, 2023•30 min•Ep. 82
Policy regarding new technologies can be reactionary, confused, and focused on the wrong things. Rob and Jackie sat down with Patrick Grady, former policy analyst at ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation, to discuss what the European Union’s policymaking process can teach us about regulating emerging tech. Mentioned: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying Down Harmonised Rules on Artificial Intelligence , (European Commission, April 2021). Related" Patric...
Sep 11, 2023•21 min•Ep. 81
Counterfeiting—one of the oldest, simplest crimes—has only continued to evolve as technology has grown more complex. Rob and Jackie sat down with Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit and Associate General Counsel, to talk about how counterfeiting negatively impacts business, taxes, intellectual property, and innovation itself. Mentioned Becca Trate and Daniel Castro. Best Practices to Combat Online Sale of Counterfeits in the EU and US , (ITIF, July 2022). Related Suj...
Aug 07, 2023•21 min•Ep. 80
Over the past 150 years, humanity has generated an unprecedented amount and variety of information, surpassing the cumulative knowledge of previous eras. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jim Cortada, a senior research fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to talk about how information shapes society. Mentioned Jim Cortada, Birth of Modern Facts: How the Information Revolution Transformed Academic Research, Governments, and Businesses , (Sandman Books, 202...
Jul 17, 2023•28 min•Ep. 79
Looking ahead to the technological challenges and opportunities of the next decade, social trust will be more important than ever for the tech industry. Rob and Jackie sat down with David Moschella, a nonresident senior fellow at ITIF and the author of ITIF’s “ Defending Digital ” series, to discuss how a lack of societal trust harms the U.S. innovation system. Mentioned David Moschella, “ Digital Innovation Isn’t Undermining Societal Trust; It’s the Other Way Around ” (ITIF, February 2023). Rel...
Jun 05, 2023•22 min•Ep. 78
A data-driven world raises the stakes for numeric literacy. Rob and Jackie sit down with George Sciadas, the former director of the Statistics Canada Center for Special Business Projects and author of the new book Number Savvy, to discuss the past, present, and future of data in society. Mentioned George Sciadas. Number Savvy: From the Invention of Numbers to the Future of Data , (Taylor & Francis Group, 2022). Kirk Goldsberry. Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA . (Mariner B...
May 15, 2023•27 min•Ep. 77
America can’t just pick up speed to beat China economically; it needs to slow down China, because there’s no use in accelerating when your adversary is along for the ride. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jonathan Ward, author of China’s Vision of Victory, to discuss where things stand in innovation and technology, and how the U.S. can maintain its position as the world’s largest and most sophisticated economy. Mentioned Jonathan Ward. The Decisive Decade: American Grand Strategy for Triumph Over Ch...
Apr 03, 2023•24 min•Ep. 76
To improve quality of life for as many people as possible, the places to start are cities. Rob and Jackie sat down with multiple award-winning technology and business leader Jonathan Reichental to discuss why the United States is falling behind other countries in the “smart city” movement and why it matters in a data-driven world. Mentioned Jonathan Reichental. Data Governance for Dummies. For Dummies, 2022. Jonathan Reichental. Smart Cities for Dummies. For Dummies, 2022. “New Urban Mechanics.”...
Mar 06, 2023•30 min•Ep. 75
Google doesn’t create terrorist propaganda videos, doesn’t allow them on YouTube, and takes them down as fast as it can when extremist groups post them anyway. But a question now before the Supreme Court is whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects Google and other platform operators from liability if their algorithms end up spreading harmful content. To parse the potential ramifications, Rob and Jackie sat down with Senior Policy Analyst Ashley Johnson, one of ITIF’s reside...
Feb 13, 2023•26 min•Ep. 74
Semiconductors are arguably the most important core technology in the modern world. You can’t fully understand the current state of politics, economics, or technology until you consider the role they play. Rob and Jackie sat down with economic historian Chris Miller to discuss the extent to which microchips are the new oil. Mentioned Miller, Chris. Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology . Simon & Schuster, 2022. Remarks by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at...
Jan 23, 2023•25 min•Ep. 73
Teaching students to combine basic ideas to solve novel, difficult problems is imperative to lay a foundation for STEM pursuits. Rob and Jackie sat down with Richard Rusczyk, founder of the Art of Problem Solving Initiative, coauthor of the original Art of Problem Solving books, and cofounder of the Mandelbrot Problem Solving Competition. Mentioned AoPS and Beast Academy Math programs for Advanced Students. Art of Problem Solving . (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022. Robert D. Atkinson and Merri...
Dec 12, 2022•28 min•Ep. 72
Economics is about more than the economy. It also intersects public and private institutions, culture, religion, morality, and politics. Rob and Jackie explored these subjects with Benjamin Friedman, a professor of Political Economy at Harvard and author of The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth and Religion and the Rise of Capitalism . Mentioned: Benjamin Friedman, Religion and the Rise of Capitalism (Vintage: 2022). Benjamin Friedman, The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth (Vintage: 2006...
Nov 28, 2022•31 min•Ep. 71
Rob and Jackie sat down with Michael Mazarr, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, to discuss his report identifying characteristics that are associated with competitive advantage. They touch on how the U.S. is currently lacking most if not all of them, and potential steps moving forward. Mentioned: Michael J. Mazaar, The Societal Foundations of National Competitiveness , Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2022. Michael J. Mazaar, The Sources of Societal Competitiveness: How Nat...
Oct 24, 2022•30 min•Ep. 70
