Posts Tagged: "Darrell West"

Automation will cause worker displacement but will also create jobs

Google, now Alphabet Inc., is one of the world’s most valuable companies but employs only a tenth of the number of workers of past giants of industry like AT&T and General Motors did about a half century ago. But we need to point out some obvious problems with the theory that technological innovation is dealing irreparable harm to the American workforce. Simply stated, you cannot ignore the reality that technological innovation is a net creator of jobs, from those who create the innovation, to those who market and sell the innovations, to those who install and maintain the innovations. Focusing only on the low income workers who will be displaced by robotics, for example, creates an inaccurate picture that significantly distorts the workplace realities. Further, it is those innovation based jobs that are the high paying jobs that our economy most wants and which will pay livable wages.

Steve Brachmann

November 5, 2015

Michelle Lee announces major patent quality initiative at Brookings event

She then pivoted to address the other side of the issue, which relates to issuing patents that should never have been issued in the first place. Lee explained: “I’ve see the effect of patents that should not have issued, or that have issued with a scope that is too broad. There is a also a cost associated with that as well… On average a start-up may get between $10 to $15 million to last over a number of years, and there are statistics that indicate that patent litigation can cost cost well over $1 million. So you can see if there is abusive litigation or a patent that should not have issued, there is a cost to our businesses.”

Gene Quinn

January 22, 2015

The Impact of Mobile Technology on Emerging Economies

In order for mobile technology to provide the data and services that rural communities need, a wireless spectrum for commercial use must be put in place. Issues regarding wireless spectrum came up a few times throughout the first panel, both from questioner Brooks Boliek of Politico as well as from audience questions. Bold, a representative of Qualcomm, declined to speak about the American wireless spectrum auction administered by the U.S. Federal Commission, which began in the middle of November. However, he did state that countries taking a stand to free up more spectrum for commercial use were the ones showing the most economic gains from mobile technology. “Spectrum is the real estate that [the mobile tech] industry is built on,” Bold said. “The countries that make the tough decision to free up spectrum, those are the countries that get the investment… and the ones that, quite frankly, are doing better.”

Steve Brachmann

December 22, 2014