Emerging technologies — from autonomous vehicles to artificial intelligence and 3-D printing — are rapidly evolving, and their applications often raise new regulatory questions. In a new insight, AAF’s Director of Technology and Innovation Policy Jennifer Huddleston contrasts the regulatory philosophy of the Trump and Obama Administrations, using autonomous vehicles as a case study. Either Trump or Biden’s approach to regulatory policy will impact a wide range of emerging technologies as well as the general culture of innovation, she argues.

An excerpt:

The overall regulatory environment can send important signals to innovators about their ability to experiment and be entrepreneurial. For example, some innovations may need a federal framework, which could encourage improvements and entrepreneurship by eliminating potential conflicts in state law or overcoming innovation-deterring state and local regulations. Continuing the light-touch approach taken to many technologies and examining the necessity of the regulatory burdens on others will help continue the United States’ innovation leadership in a number of areas and applications.

Read the analysis.