The US Needs More Foreign Artificial Intelligence Know-How

During President Obama's two terms in the White House, Jason Furman was a top economic policy adviser and a key voice on the growing importance of artificial intelligence. Furman served as deputy director of the National Economic Council before becoming chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. He also coauthored a report issued by the Obama administration in October 2016 that detailed the economic importance of AI to the US. Furman, who is now a professor of the practice of economic policy at Harvard, spoke to WIRED senior writer Will Knight. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.