Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R–Bakersfield) is starting a new institute to push the country to win the technological space and artificial intelligence race.
McCarthy has launched the ALFA Institute to support policy and ideas to help the United States stay ahead of China and other competitors.
Driving the news: McCarthy’s institute is named after NASA’s platform – ALFA – which was used to put a man on the moon.
The big picture: The ALFA Institute aims to promote new and emerging private sector technologies to bridge the gap between Congress and the industry.
- Much of the ALFA Institute’s focus will be on artificial intelligence and establishing a regulatory framework around it.
- The institute will also focus on the energy sector, aerospace, advanced defense systems and biotechnology.
Zoom out: Another main focus of McCarthy’s new institute directly targets China.
- The institute’s website states that the Chinese Communist Party is the greatest foreign threat facing the United States.
- America needs to speak with one voice when it comes to addressing the generational challenges that China poses, the website states.
What they’re saying: “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, our nation faces an inflection point – with a new type of a technological space race underway,” McCarthy wrote in an open letter. “Advancements in industries such as manufacturing, defense, energy, and artificial intelligence all have the power to propel our society forward. Yet they also see competitor nations, such as China, racing to secure the next breakthrough. For America to continue as the world’s leading force for good, our government, private sector, and idea leaders must collaborate.”
