Prophets and their warnings arise in times of peril, and the arrival of the doomer techno-optimist discourse is fortunate. Simply put, we needed the wake-up call. Yet, if the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one, then the second step is actually doing something about it. To that end, what is needed from the next phase of contributions to this discussion are proposals to reboot science and generate breakthroughs, policies to create an environment in which transformative growth is possible, and new economic analyses that more accurately account for the role of technology in growth. In fact, doomer techno-optimists have an opportunity to take their unique blend of harsh reflection on the present and bold vision for a sci-fi future and fuse it with creative and actionable proposals to realize such ambitious dreams. What strategies could the doomer techno-optimists propose? Perhaps the most important approach would be to involve government as a “market maker”…

Read More