Will America Ride the Next Wave of Innovation and Growth?

Waves of economic growth are often fueled by the development and diffusion of new general-purpose technologies. But other factors—industrial and corporate organization, legal frameworks, and, of course, geopolitics—can determine whether countries take full advantage of growth waves. At the same time, growth waves often reshape these factors, including the relative power of countries. In the third episode of Talking Policy’s Technology and Global Security in the 21st Century miniseries, guest host Nicolas Wittstock speaks with Mark Schwartz, professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, about whether current global conditions are right to catalyze a new tech-fueled growth wave, as new technologies like artificial intelligence and clean energy take root and great powers like China and the United States compete to set the global standards of the industries.This episode was recorded on May 30, 2025. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.