What Happens If We Stop Funding Innovation?

The People's Cabinet

Can America stay competitive without funding science and technology? Former White House Chief Science & Technology Advisor Dr. Arati Prabhakar joins Dan Koh to explain what’s at stake — from breakthroughs in AI and drug development to national security and America’s innovation edge.

🔍 Topics Covered:
• AI and medicine
• Drug development and Alzheimer’s research
• The role of federal science agencies:
 — DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
 — ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health)
 — NIH (National Institutes of Health)
 — NSF (National Science Foundation)
• How public-private partnerships fuel innovation
• U.S. vs. China in science and tech leadership
• What Biden got right — and what Trump is undoing

🎧 This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of AI, biotech, life-saving cures, and America’s innovation edge in a fast-changing world.

Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. The Importance of AI and U.S. Leadership (00:01:12)

3. How AI Works: A Layman's Explanation (00:03:54)

4. AI Ethics and Competition with China (00:06:23)

5. Strategies to Compete with China in AI (00:08:15)

6. Revolutionary AI Applications in Science (00:11:35)

7. AI in Drug Development and FDA Challenges (00:17:57)

8. Impact of the Trump Administration on Innovation (00:22:02)

9. Examples of Public R&D Success: DARPA’s Role (00:24:30)

10. The mRNA Vaccine Breakthrough (00:29:54)

11. Concerns About Current R&D Policies (00:38:01)

12. Vision for Future R&D Investment (00:41:11)

13. Engaging Disaffected Voters (00:48:47)

14. Subscribe to The People's Cabinet (00:51:27)