Morgan Stevens
Morgan Stevens was is a research assistant at ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation. She holds a J.D. from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and a B.A. in economics and government from the University of Texas at Austin.
Research Areas
Recent Publications
Policymakers’ Rush to Blame Technology 15 Years Ago Put the D.C. Metro on the Wrong Track
Despite later investigations finding automatic train operations (ATO) was not to blame for a 2009 accident—and decades of operation without problems—officials have yet to reinstate the technology in the rail system, leaving it and the region’s many commuters reliant on human workers operating trains manually.
Biden Prediction of More Technological Progress in the Next 10 Years Than the Past 50 Years Is Almost Certainly Wrong
President Biden has claimed that, largely due to advancements in AI, “we’ll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years and maybe even beyond that.” However, it's highly unlikely that tech advancements in the next decade will outpace the achievements of the past five decades.
In the Wake of Generative AI, Industry-Led Standards for Data Scraping Are a Must
Significant public concerns about AI have raised the risk that Congress might step in and pass anti-scraping legislation. But a legislative intervention would be a mistake, especially given that the private sector has previously resolved a similar issue through voluntary measures.
The FTC Should Avoid Unduly Restricting the US AI Industry
The AI industry is emerging and evolving rapidly, and neither the FTC nor the DOJ has been able to point to any evidence of anticompetitive behavior. Rather than invent or speculate about problems that do not exist, competition regulations should allow the AI industry to continue to develop new and innovative products without unwarranted restrictions.
Supporting Robotics Adoption in Logistics Facilities Will Increase Productivity and Create Safer Jobs
Given the benefits of automation in logistics facilities, policymakers should enact legislation that provides warehousing and storage companies with the resources they need to innovate and incorporate robots into their operations, supports workers throughout job transitions, and promotes resiliency in U.S. supply chains.
The FTC’s Proposed Sanctions Against Meta Represent Regulatory Overreach
The FTC recently announced plans to add a series of sanctions to a 2020 privacy order with Meta that would inhibit Meta’s ability to offer services to children or launch new products. In attempting to unilaterally revise the 2020 order, the FTC is unjustifiably and excessively obstructing legitimate business practices, bypassing the proper legislative process to create new privacy rules, and diminishing its ability to use consent decrees in the future.
Why Policymakers Should Support Robotic Automation to Solve the Productivity Crunch in Logistics Facilities
As consumers continue to buy more goods online, logistics facilities will face greater demand to deliver goods across the country in a timely manner. Policymakers should promote robotic adoption and innovation to improve labor productivity, worker safety, delivery times, and supply chain resiliency.
Taxing Robots Would Hurt, Not Help, American Workers
A robot tax is a misguided policy that would inhibit productivity growth that could otherwise make U.S. companies more competitive, create higher-paying jobs, and improve quality of life for all Americans.
States Should Welcome the World’s First Actual Robot Lawyer
As generative AI continues to rapidly improve in terms of its performance and capabilities, it is clear the technology will have important uses in many sectors. Despite its potential, the legal sector continues to resist AI in order to protect lawyers rather than integrating it as quickly as possible to benefit clients.
Supporting Robotics Adoption Would Boost the US Economy
As more companies use robots, many worry about the effect of automation on workers. The good news is that robots bring many benefits to both companies and workers. In fact, encouraging robot innovation and adoption supports the U.S. workforce and economy in four ways.
Labeling Incorrect AI Output as Deceptive Would Be Misguided Overreach by the FTC
Arguments that the FTC should consider GPT-4’s mistakes as unlawful deception are entirely misguided. There are plenty of legitimately deceptive practices in need of the FTC’s attention, but GPT-4 is not one of them.
Unless Congress Acts, Telehealth Progress During Covid Will Be Lost
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal policymakers enacted a series of legislative and regulatory measures to expand access to telehealth services. Congress recently extended many of these changes for two years in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (H.R. 2617). However, policymakers should permanently extend these temporary measures to ensure that medical providers can continue to offer care to patients remotely after the extension ends.
Recent Events and Presentations
Consumer Protection Fall Conference: Fake Online Reviews
Morgan Stevens speaks about fake online reviews at the 2023 Consumer Protection Fall Conference hosted by the National Association of Attorneys General.
IP Stories: Women and IP (A World IP Day Event)
WIPO’s theme for World IP Day 2023 is “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity.” To celebrate, ITIF highlights the stories of a few of the women who rely on IP rights to accelerate innovation and creativity. Join us for these first-hand accounts of how IP enables and benefits creators, innovators, and society alike.
Robo Lawyering for the Win?
Morgan Stevens speaks about how policymakers can support the development of tech-enabled legal services,
How Can Better Federal Data on Higher Education Outcomes Reduce Student Debt?
Watch the Center for Data Innovation's webinar on how better data can help students with their higher education pursuits, the challenges in providing this data today, and the steps policymakers can take to address these barriers.
How Can Policymakers Encourage More Robo-Lawyers?
Watch the Center for Data Innovation's panel discussion about the potential for AI-enabled robo-lawyers to provide legal services, the challenges in providing these services today, and steps policymakers can take to allow the development of tech-enabled legal services.