Keys to Success: A Policy Roadmap for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Keys to Success: A Policy Roadmap for the Fourth Industrial Revolution seeks to provide a policy guide for lawmakers at the advent of a new industrial era. Just as the Third Industrial Revolution replaced physical labor with the advent of automated mass production technology, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will constitute technological advances that replace mental labor. Some of these technologies, such as varying degrees of artificial intelligence and automated decision-making, are already being used today in social media and natural language processing. Both allies and adversaries of the United States are investing heavily to get ahead in this era. For the prior two industrial revolutions, America was at the forefront, producing technological breakthroughs that drastically improved the standard of living for millions around the world. America’s leadership role can be owed in a significant part to its technological superiority, especially in military and advanced technology applications. At the start of the next industrial age, this thesis attempts to look back and analyze the policy environment leading up to and through the Third Industrial Revolution (also known as the “Digital Revolution” or “Internet Revolution”), isolate key policy levers material to the creation of innovative output during this period, and provide a roadmap for policymakers that outlines the optimal policy environment required to maximize the United States’ share of economic output in the advanced industries of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.