Guests from the Special Competitive Studies Project discuss strategies for US competitiveness in tech. Topics include public-private research partnerships, upgrading institutions with AI, the decline of gov't research, China's industrial espionage, and bureaucratic techniques for urgency.
Public-private research partnerships crucial for US competitiveness in tech.
Modernizing governance essential for addressing AI innovation era challenges.
National tech strategy and collaboration key to overcoming bureaucratic hurdles for innovation.
Deep dives
The Special Competitive Studies Project and Its Origins
The Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) is a 501c3 nonprofit that emerged as a continuation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Initially focused on AI for national security, SCSP broadened its scope to analyze national competitiveness. It draws inspiration from historical inflection points like the post-war era and aims to address the evolving tech competition, especially with China.
Urgency for Innovation and Galvanizing Domestic Collaboration
The report emphasizes the urgency for innovation due to evolving tech complexity and geopolitical shifts, especially with China. It highlights a growing disconnect between industry, government, and academia in the innovation ecosystem. SCSP seeks to unite these sectors by hosting events like the AI Expo to showcase aligned goals and foster collaboration for national progress.
Governance Adaptation for AI Development and Risk Mitigation
With the accelerating emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), SCSP stresses the need to modernize governance for the innovation era. They propose a high consequence AI framework to identify impactful AI applications and tailor governance strategies, focusing on regulatory efforts for critical AI use cases to balance innovation benefits and risks.
Technological Innovation as Key to National Competitiveness
Emphasizing technology as pivotal for 21st-century competitiveness, SCSP identifies AGI as fundamental for tech advancement. They advocate mastering AGI to lead in AI and related domains, outlining a strategic tech focus on AI, microelectronics, networks, biotechnology, energy, and advanced manufacturing for innovation power.
National Tech Strategy and Government Adaptation
The discussion delves into the importance of national tech strategy for the US to maintain competitiveness. It underscores the necessity for a technology competitiveness council to ensure continuous and long-term tech planning, mitigate bureaucratic hurdles, and incorporate private sector insights for strategic direction and innovation power.
Academic Involvement in Tech Strategy and Bureaucratic Adaptability
The report reviews an NSF-funded project spearheaded by Erica Fuchs focusing on academia's role in tech strategy development. While acknowledging academic contributions to the discourse, the conversation highlights the need for a holistic approach combining scientific expertise and bureaucratic acumen to navigate technological challenges effectively.
What will it take for the US to remain competitive in 21st-century technologies? Is high state capacity a thing of the past?
To discuss, ChinaTalk interviewed David Lin, Abigail Kukura, and Venkat Somala from the Special Competitive Studies Project. SCSP’s new report outlines exactly how America should compete in the tech-powered future of geopolitics.
We get into…
The role of public-private research partnerships and SCSP’s relationship with the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence;
A strategy for upgrading US institutions with the help of emerging technologies like AI;
The historical decline of government-backed research in the US;
China’s industrial espionage and the potential for stolen innovations to consolidate authoritarianism across the globe;
Bureaucratic moonshots and techniques for communicating urgency to the slow-moving American polity.
Our past episode on tech net assessment: Crafting A National Tech Strategy and Reviving Net Tech Assesment (Spotify Link) (Apple Podcasts Link)
Our past episode on bureaucratic moonshots: Peter Harrell on Bureaucratic Barriers to Competition (Spotify Link) (Apple Podcasts Link)