Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy

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How Should the U.S. Government Buy AI Tools?

The need for AI-readiness in federal procurement will continue to grow with the capabilities of AI tools. There are concrete steps the government could take to ensure all development and implementation of AI-related laws, regulations, and executive branch policies include appropriate considerations.

Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice, Heidi Peters

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How Can Platforms Deal with Toxic Content? Look to Wall Street

Social media has a content problem. It's not the content itself, although the list of toxic material is long. The problem is the sheer volume of content. Instead of trusting in self-regulation, the United States could use its regulation of Wall Street after 2008 as a roadmap for regulating tech.

James V. Marrone

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AI, ChatGPT, and Language as Technology: Q&A with William Marcellino

William Marcellino, a senior behavioral and social scientist at RAND and professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, discusses the rapidly expanding reach of artificial intelligence, the challenges it could pose for both society and policymakers, and how the research community is poised to help.

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Can China's Green Energy Acceleration Put at Risk the West's Hydrogen Plans?

Hydrogen (H2) plays a key role in the decarbonization plans of the European Union and the United States. Both have launched aggressive hydrogen strategies to increase the generation of H2 and deployment of related technologies. But these bold ambitions may face headwinds due to the acceleration of China's energy transition.

Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, Andrew Star, et al.

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Venture Capital Gives America a Strategic Edge in the Age of Technology Wars

U.S. early-stage hardware startups are seriously disadvantaged by a persistent lack of financing. Congress authorized the U.S. Department of Defense to spend $75 million to invest in dual-use hardware startups. But the Pentagon has proven reticent to embrace a venture capital–style approach, even though research has demonstrated it is optimal for driving innovation.

Daniel Egel, Michael J. McNerney

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Brain and Machine Confluence Requires Multi-Sectoral Regulation to Maximize Gains

As the commercialization of brain-computer interface technology expands, it would be prudent for international policymakers to consider how this technology should be regulated, in order to reap its benefits and minimize its risks.

Sana Zakaria @drsana_zak, Joana Gomes Beirao, et al.

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What Might Space Look Like in 2050?

It would not take huge technological breakthroughs to make space and space travel a much bigger part of everyday life. Instead, it would take a steady progression of incremental advances—and one development in particular could provide the tipping point.

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Biotechnology and Today's Warfighter

Biotechnology has a broad and often misunderstood scope, one with significant implications for today's warfighter, and it may be reaching a critical junction. As it continues to mature, proactive policy becomes necessary for the federal government to leverage emerging capabilities effectively and remain competitive.

Timothy Marler, Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

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The CHIPS Act Alone Won't Secure U.S. Semiconductor Supply Chains

The implementation of the CHIPS Act shows promise for revitalizing the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing industry via investments in research and development, workforce development, and incentive programs. But executing on these ambitions could take some time and may not resolve all semiconductor supply chain risks.

Jared Mondschein @JSMondschein

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Improving How Medicines R&D Is Financed Could Support Innovation and Benefits for Patients

Tackling chronic and infectious diseases depends to a large extent on the ability to develop innovative and affordable medicines that are available to patients in need. Policymakers will need to tackle challenges from multiple angles to avoid reducing barriers in one area at the expense of exacerbating challenges in another.

Sarah Parkinson, Sonja Marjanovic @SonjaCambs

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Embracing Intrinsic Cultural Advantages in Innovation

The United States has long enjoyed the benefits of novel technology, but it could lose ground soon as other countries advance. Could it be time for the United States to embrace the advantages in innovation that it holds relative to near-peers like China?

Will Shumate, Timothy Marler

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Doubling NIH Funding for Women's Health Would Yield Substantial Return on Investment

The scientific evidence base generally is biased toward the male body as a result of a long history of generous funding for diseases that predominantly affect men and underfunding for those that predominantly affect women. But the cost of the science pales in comparison to the price we continue to pay for what we don't know about caring for women.

Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD

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Microbiome-Based Health and Wellness Innovation: Reflecting on Regulatory Challenges and Needs

Microbiome research and development may lead to an increasing number of therapeutic and well-being breakthroughs. But regulating microbiota-related products poses a challenge that could require innovative approaches.

Mark Cabling, Zuzanna Marciniak-Nuqui, et al.

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Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in Health Care Innovation: Considerations for Future Research, Policy, and Practice

For health care innovations to have the fairest and broadest possible benefit to society, efforts could be made to attend to all stages of the innovation pathway to identify opportunities to mitigate biases through diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Robert J. Romanelli, Sonja Marjanovic @SonjaCambs

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Science and Security: Setting the Direction for the UK's Research Relationship with China

UK-China research has the potential to sustain the very forms of academic excellence that a more-isolationist approach sets out to protect, while also raising the possibility of bridge-building and tackling shared problems. For this to become a reality, knowledge and understanding of China in the United Kingdom must improve.

Peter Carlyon