Publications: Robert D. Atkinson

Over the last several years, public opinion on technology and the use of data has shifted from excitement to skepticism to fear.

Rob Atkinson and David Moschella appeared on the Explain to Shane podcast with AEI’s Shane Tews to discuss their book Technology Fears and Scapegoats.

The next administration needs to place innovation, productivity, and competitiveness at the core of its economic policy. To that end, this report offers a comprehensive techno-economic agenda with 82 actionable policy recommendations.

The future will be much improved if society fights the fear of technology.

Rob Atkinson appeared on the Foundation for American Innovation’s podcast The Dynamist with former FCC policy advisor Evan Swarztrauber to discuss myths about social media and democracy, small businesses and innovation, corporate profits, and laissez-faire capitalism.

Korea thankfully lags behind the West in its techlash “thinking,” but it is by no means free from this corrosive force. Both the West and Korea need a more positive and balanced perspective that doesn’t make technology the source of today’s societal ills.

A recent commentary piece in the Washington Post argued that the main cause of strong productivity growth in 2023 was not artificial intelligence but rather a surge in new business creation. But that confuses correlation with causation.

Taking a cue from the EU does not make sense for Japan, because Brussels’ regulations were adopted in large measure as a response to the bloc’s failure to produce any leading digital companies of its own. Japan, by contrast, is home to many of the world’s top technology companies.

Rob Atkinson and David Moschella appeared on The Bill Walton Show to discuss their new book, Technology Fears and Scapegoats.

Rob Atkinson appeared on Elevate, the podcast of the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS), to discuss the origins of negative opinions of the pharmaceutical industry and whether a for-profit model can support both innovation and the society’s best interests, topics he covered in his book Technology Fears and Scapegoats.