February 12, 2019
Council on Competitiveness (Council) President & CEO Deborah Wince-Smith today released the following statement regarding President Trump’s Executive Order creating the American AI Initiative:
“The Council applauds the White House for launching the American AI Initiative in recognition of the competitiveness imperative inherent to AI. The Initiative importantly recognizes that the development and deployment at scale of AI will be a critical driver of a nation’s long-term innovation capacity and capability, productivity and prosperity. It also reinforces the Council’s long-standing call to action to invest in research and development of exponential technologies, to build the workforce of the future and to protect America’s technological leadership in the face of unprecedented and growing global competition.
The Council encourages the Administration to move quickly and definitively on this path, and to leverage the nation’s entire innovation toolkit to make this Initiative a success. We look forward to working with the Administration and with other key stakeholders across the public and private sectors – to advance this important work.”
For thirty years, the Council on Competitiveness has stressed that technology-based innovation is the key driver of productivity and economic growth, a rising standard of living and the success of U.S. goods and services in the global marketplace. But today, the global challenges to U.S. competitiveness are profound and unparalleled as nations around the world recognize the role of a strong innovation ecosystem in long-term productivity and wealth creation. The Administration’s timely effort will be a key platform for national conversation and action around the future of U.S. innovation and global leadership.
In parallel, the Council is launching in 2019 its own private sector “National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers” – a multi-year effort to confront and overcome critical challenges facing the U.S. innovation engine. This work, led by Council chairman, Dr. Mehmood Khan, vice chairman and chief scientific officer for global research and development for PepsiCo, Inc. and Council vice-chair, Dr. Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University, comprises a cross section of leaders from industry, academia, the national laboratories and other important stakeholders.
The Commission will focus year one of its efforts on three key pillars: the development and deployment at scale of exponential and disruptive technologies; sustainable production and consumption tied to the future of work; and optimizing America’s innovation ecosystem, including intellectual property and standards, smart and effective regulations, and the trade and investment climate supporting U.S.-made goods and services.
The Council on Competitiveness looks forward to working with the Administration, members of Congress, state and local leaders and other decisionmakers across the nation to ensure the United States continues to lead the world in innovation-enabled growth.
For media inquiries, please contact: Katie Sarro ([email protected] or 202-383-9507).
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About the Council on Competitiveness
For more than three decades, the Council on Competitiveness (Council) has championed a competitiveness agenda for the United States to attract investment and talent and spur the commercialization of new ideas. While the players may have changed since its founding in 1986, the mission remains as vital as ever—to enhance U.S. productivity and raise the standard of living for all Americans.
The members of the Council—CEOs, university presidents, labor leaders and national lab directors—represent a powerful, nonpartisan voice that sets aside politics and seeks results. By providing real-world perspective to policymakers, the Council’s private sector network makes an impact on decision-making across a broad spectrum of issues—from the cutting- edge of science and technology, to the democratization of innovation, to the shift from energy weakness to strength that supports the growing renaissance in U.S. manufacturing. The Council firmly believes that with the right policies, the strengths and potential of the U.S. economy far outweigh the current challenges the nation faces on the path to higher growth and greater opportunity for all Americans.
