​The worlds of tech and policy are increasingly integrated, for good or ill. Tech professionals are recognizing government service as a vital way to contribute to the national interest, at the same time that politicos and policy experts have realized that they need the tech industry’s experience and insight. Ten years after the Foundation for American Innovation was formed to serve as a bridge between Silicon Valley and DC, the fusion of technology and public policy is greater than ever. But can technologists, founders, and investors really accomplish more in a sclerotic political environment than they can in industry?

​To discuss their experience moving from tech to government and back again, 

 will be joining the Foundation for American Innovation and Project 47 in San Francisco on Monday, December 4. Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America, served as the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States under President Obama, and as a member of the Defense Innovation Board under Presidents Obama and Trump. This year, she published 

Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better

. Michael Kratsios, former Principal and Chief of Staff at Thiel Capital, served as Chief Technology Officer of the United States and Under Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon during the Trump administration. Today, he is Managing Director at Scale AI, where he leads corporate strategy and helps accelerate AI applications across industries.

The conversation will be moderated by 

, a Media Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, where he co-hosts 

 as we consider the case for a tech “tour of duty” in government.

​Join the Foundation for American Innovation and Project 47 as we consider the case for a tech “tour of duty” in government.

Listen to a recording of this event here. 

Remarkable improvements in artificial intelligence are forcing us to reassess our government, our economy, and ourselves. Boosters see an opportunity to empower individual creators and circumvent sclerotic industry gatekeepers. Many creators are already using AI to hone their craft, test new concepts, and reach new audiences.

But skeptics see another possibility: that AI will stifle creativity by strengthening the most powerful corporations. Artists’ work is being used without license to teach AI models. AI platforms have produced works inspired by human creators without attribution. And as the recent writers strike shows, many fear that media companies will use AI to replace human creators altogether.

How can we channel AI so that it strengthens individual agency? What are potential artistic and public interest applications of AI, and what policies and incentives do we need to make those applications succeed?

Join the Foundation for American Innovation in Washington, DC on Wednesday, November 1 at 6:00 p.m., as we develop a pro-human approach to AI.

Sy Damle

Laurent Crenshaw

Ashken Kazaryan

Patrick Blumenthal

Join the Foundation for American Innovation for a conversation on a pro-human approach to AI.

Past Events

From Tech to Government and Back Again

AI & the Creator Economy: Dark Age or Digital Renaissance?