2 Tech Groups Hail Creation of White House Office of American Innovation

Two tech associations are applauding President Donald Trump's creation of the White House Office of American Innovation (OAI) that will led by son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. In a news release Monday, Kushner said OAI will bring a "creative and strategic approach" to people's problems. Software & Information Industry Association Senior Vice President-Public Policy Mark MacCarthy said in a Tuesday statement that OAI will prioritize technological innovation at the highest level. He said it's important for "policies to keep pace with the rise of big data, the Internet of Things, and more recently, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence." In a Monday statement, Information Technology Industry Council President Dean Garfield said bringing innovation and data-driven efficiencies into government operations is welcome. "Fresh thinking can spark new solutions to old problems, an approach that is deeply engrained in the tech industry," he said.