The hottest Innovation policy Substack posts right now

Prizes pay only for results and are best when the problem is genuinely uncertain and open to many different approaches, because they attract diverse outsiders and reward solutions that actually work.
Well-designed competitions can spark whole ecosystems and huge private investment when they have crystal-clear goals, measurable outcomes, and built-in paths to turn demos into real, deployable systems.
Prizes also carry big risks—winner-take-all waste, IP headaches, and demos that don’t survive real conditions—so competitions need multi-tier rewards, requirements to capture losers’ learnings, and follow-on funding to avoid squandering resources.

AI's water use is often misunderstood. Accurate accounting shows its environmental impact is more nuanced than headlines suggest.
Google Maps' rankings are crowning winners and losers in the restaurant industry. Visibility on the app can make or break a business.
There is a moral case for autonomous cars centered on safety and access. Widespread self-driving tech could also reshape mobility and the layout of second-tier cities.

The U.S. is facing a new challenge from China as it becomes a leader in many advanced technologies, something that could have lasting impacts on the economy.
Instead of relying on tariffs and outdated policies, the U.S. should work on building stronger collaborations and focus on innovation to compete effectively.
A successful strategy for the U.S. should focus on its strengths—like decentralized innovation and competition—rather than trying to mimic China's state-driven model.

Patents help inventors protect their ideas, but they alone can't ensure fair profits from innovations. We need more support to make sure inventors get what they deserve.
In a monopoly, the price of goods reflects production costs, not research costs. This can lead to less innovation if prices don't encourage investment.
To encourage more drug discoveries, we might need to pay higher prices or create subsidies and prizes for medical breakthroughs. It’s a tough choice, but necessary for progress.

Existential Crunch is a living literature review discussing societal collapse and academic research on the topic.
The field of societal collapse research is still early in its development and urgent given current warnings of potential collapse.
Initiatives like living literature reviews can support the synthesis of academic research on policy-relevant topics.

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AI represents both risks and opportunities
Balanced approach needed to harness the potential of AI while managing risks
Precautionary measures should be proportionate to the risks, favoring innovation