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The US university-industry link in the R&D of AI: Back to the origins?

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  • Andrea Borsato
  • Patrick Llerena

Abstract

Contributing to the fast-growing Economics of Artificial Intelligence (AI), this paper examines the close relationship between university and industry for what concerns to the research and development of AI technologies in the USA. Recalling the history of the university-industry relationships in the several phases of the US national system of innovation (NSI), we argue that current collaborations resemble in some respects what happened during the prewar NSI. Yet, the AI R&D presents some peculiarities. Universities are changing their positioning in the innovation process and turning to a research-based training model in the domains concerned by AI. This could potentially change the trajectory of university-industry links, since it is very much in line with the typical Humboldtian perspective that was at work in some European institutes in XVIII century up to US early XX century. At the same time, if the way in which the production of knowledge and the training of the workforce envisages a return to the origins, differences arise in the definition of the main goals, e.g., Sustainable Development Goals, and in the role of stakeholders. The overall discussion also bears some implications for the link between division of knowledge and division of labour.

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  • Andrea Borsato & Patrick Llerena, 2024. "The US university-industry link in the R&D of AI: Back to the origins?," Working Papers of BETA 2024-46, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2024-46
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    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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