Innovation Files Blog

Only 1 percent of tech goods under HS code 84 coming from ASEAN faced tariffs compared to about 90 percent for those from China.

In focusing so heavily on the dangers of AI, Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas understates the degree to which these technologies can expand human capability, improve quality of life, and promote human flourishing, while largely overlooking the need for policies to support widespread AI adoption and diffusion.

The Western Balkan have excelled in attracting foreign direct investment, with average inflows as a share of gross domestic product equaling 6.4 percent between 2020 and 2023. In contrast, the average rate for the EU was 1.5 percent and about 0.9 percent in the United States.

Critics say the SECURE Data Act is a unified Republican effort. Yet its core provisions mirror privacy protections passed by Democratic and Republican majorities in 21 states. So, while it would preempt state laws, it also draws heavily from those laws, reflecting a bipartisan, multistate consensus on how to protect consumers while enabling innovation.

As AI capabilities continue to advance, some people have begun raising concerns about the long-term implications for the tax base. But this concern is likely overstated. Policymakers should refrain from changing the tax base on the assumption that labor income will decline.

Philadelphia’s proposed $1 rideshare tax attempts to address school funding shortfalls. The city should reject narrowly targeted taxes on app-based services and instead pursue broader, more neutral revenue mechanisms such as property or income taxes.

EU regulations, many have cost European businesses about $176 billion annually, equivalent to almost 1 percent of the bloc’s GDP, and this cost doesn’t include the lost innovation and forgone growth that may have occurred if those rules were not in place.

A New Mexico ruling against Meta highlights how the growing patchwork of state digital regulations could fragment the U.S. internet by forcing companies to restrict or withdraw online services in certain states, underscoring the need for Congress to establish a unified federal digital policy framework.

China has overtaken the United States in R&D investment for the first time amid slowing U.S. R&D growth. Without stronger policy action, America risks falling further behind.

Cyberattacks are rising across state and local governments, and the blog recommends that all states adopt coordinated strategies, clear standards, and stronger cyber capabilities to close security gaps and improve resilience.