PPI

AI is attracting massive investment—but unlike past tech surges, this one carries less systemic risk. As PPI Chief Economist Michael Mandel explains in The Free Press, today’s AI buildout is largely equity-financed. That means if companies fail, losses are absorbed by shareholders—not lenders—limiting broader economic fallout. More importantly, today’s investors are agile and responsive. “They’re ready to pivot when they learn what works and what doesn’t,” Mandel notes. This adaptability, combined with market-driven capital allocation, makes the current wave of AI development a more stable foundation for long-term innovation. https://lnkd.in/ebiRRQvv

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this morning’s Women in Policy Alliance Coffee & Conversation. From networking and collaboration to supporting career growth, this event continues to foster a vibrant community of women working across the policy landscape in D.C. We’re proud to help cultivate the next generation of policy leaders—and grateful to all who make these conversations meaningful.

In this week’s Trade Fact, PPI’s Ed Gresser breaks down the sweeping and legally dubious tariff increases imposed by the Trump administration—tariffs that have raised costs for American manufacturers, slowed growth, and damaged exports, all without Congressional approval. Polls show that 63% of Americans disapprove of these emergency-based trade actions. The Senate now has an opportunity to restore constitutional authority over tariff policy and mitigate further economic harm. https://lnkd.in/etR-nx6s

In his latest Forbes column, Bruno Manno brings much-needed clarity to the noisy debate over AI and the future of work. Too often, the conversation swings between extremes—AI as a job killer or AI as a liberator. Manno offers a more grounded view: five distinct but overlapping storylines, from job displacement to a human-centered renaissance. His core argument is pragmatic: the future of work isn’t predetermined by technology—it’s shaped by human design. https://lnkd.in/e7J6CA-4

As states craft laws to govern artificial intelligence, some legislative proposals include private rights of action that would allow lawyers to sue over AI use without demonstrating actual harm. In a new report for the PPI, Phil Goldberg and Josh Hansen show how these provisions risk replicating decades of litigation abuse seen under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act. The result would be costly lawsuits with little benefit to consumers—and a serious threat to U.S. AI innovation. They argue that enforcement should remain in the hands of state attorneys general, who can apply prosecutorial judgment to balance consumer protection and technological progress. https://lnkd.in/eNB5AjpQ

An all-of-the-above energy strategy—combining natural gas with growing investments in renewables—is the best path forward for the U.S. This balanced approach lowers costs, strengthens American competitiveness, and supports working families facing rising energy prices. The New York Times editorial board highlights how President Trump’s anti-clean energy agenda abandons that strategy, threatening both affordability at home and our edge in the global clean energy race. PPI has long argued that smart, strategic energy policy isn’t about choosing between economic growth and climate action—we can and must do both. https://lnkd.in/eG6qgy6R

Union Podcast

Who gets access to higher education—and the opportunities that come with it—in Trump’s America? Under pressure from the Trump administration, the College Board has announced plans to eliminate Landscape, a tool designed to help universities identify promising students using class-based, not race-based, metrics. Richard Kahlenberg, Director of PPI’s American Identity Project, spoke with The Washington Monthly about his recent article examining the College Board’s capitulation to Trump. He warns that dismantling tools like Landscape risks a return to the resegregation of higher education—closing doors for talented students from working-class backgrounds. https://lnkd.in/eJiP4iwd

At the UK Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, PPI partnered with FES Europe and The Labour Party to convene leaders from across the international center-left. The discussion focused on political renewal and practical strategies to modernize policy, reconnect with working people, and push back against the populist right. Speakers included Hubertus Heil MdB, former German Labour Minister and senior SPD official; Stephen Doughty MP, UK Labour’s Minister for Europe and North America; and Paul Erickson, National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party. PPI’s Lindsay Lewis, Lord David Evans, and Claire Ainsley spoke on panels examining how to build a policy agenda that is both ambitious and electorally grounded. Kirsty McNeill MP joined a joint fringe event co-hosted by PPI, Progressive Britain, and The McKell Institute, contributing insights on progressive cross-national collaboration. Progressive Britain’s conference reception, supported by PPI, included remarks from Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, Health Secretary The Rt. Hon. Wes Streeting MP, and Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall MP.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is making a strong case for Democrats to lead again on trade—linking open markets to affordability, innovation, and working-class prosperity. His stance reflects a broader renewal underway in center-left politics: a recognition that economic openness and growth are essential to restoring faith in liberal democracy. This is the kind of pragmatic, pro-worker, pro-business leadership PPI has long advanced. https://lnkd.in/eKruESKn