Policy Commons

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Peer review in the age of AI. A paper by a group of social science editors, addresses the increasing strain on academic peer review and publishing due to rising submission rates and the proliferation of Large Language Models (LLMs). coilink.org/20.500.12592/1…

People in liberal democracies think that politicians are useless, so it's no surprise they are is looking to the extremes. To win back trust, FGF says governments must redefine power distribution and reform the state to wield its authority effectively. coilink.org/20.500.12592/8…

A new paper from the EIB shows that AI has already boosted productivity by 4% without firms shedding staff. AI-adopting firms are more innovative, and their workers earn higher wages. But the benefits are concentrated in medium and large firms. coilink.org/20.500.12592/7…

Polluters pay, economy wins A win-win policy? Combine a polluter pays levy with a fair share levy on carbon energy and you'll get carbon abatement with tax revenues to compensate households and fund investments in green industries and social policies. coilink.org/20.500.12592/3…

Despite all the chatter about peace prizes, an extensive new report reminds us that 23 recent conflicts have killed 100,000+ civilians, with widespread torture and rape too. Is international humanitarian law at breaking point? coilink.org/20.500.12592/1…

Singapore's governance model for agentic AI is one of the first government frameworks to deal directly with AI systems that can plan, act, adapt, and interact with other systems. It signals a shift from high-level principles to engineered system design. coilink.org/20.500.12592/9…

While support for open data principles is strong (80%), there is declining support for open data mandates, especially in Australia and the USA because researchers still think they're not getting sufficient recognition and credit. coilink.org/20.500.12592/6…

Did the greenback undermine Trump's bid for Greenland? Two papers from a programme on Global (Dis)Order by British Academy and Carnegie Endowment might help understand Washington's retreat on its proposed Greenland acquisition. coilink.org/20.500.12592/3… & coilink.org/20.500.12592/2…

AI v the steam engine Compare 2 reports on transformative technologies. Steam engines boosted regional wages for over 140 years 🥳 coilink.org/20.500.12592/8… AI might do the opposite, deskilling the workforce 🤦‍♀️ coilink.org/20.500.12592/4…

Water bankruptcy leads to conflict. The UN finds many water systems are now 'bankrupt' because aquifiers and glaciers are empty coilink.org/20.500.12592/6… @pacificinstitute.bsky.social reports water fights reached record levels in 2024 coilink.org/20.500.12592/9…

Journals are assailed by paper mills. This timely report, commissioned by STM's Research Integrity Ctee, examines how publishing practices have evolved but with some publishers employing 100+ on research integrity, we can but blanche at the growing cost. coilink.org/20.500.12592/6…

Are journal special issues taking the PISS? In this well-written preprint, the authors found that 538/904 journals contained special issues 'Published In Support of Self' draining time, money, and trust from the scientific enterprise. coilink.org/20.500.12592/8…

Cybersecurity just got harder WEF/Accenture Cybersecurity Outlook explores how accelerating AI adoption, geopolitical fragmentation and widening cyber inequity are reshaping the global risk landscape. coilink.org/20.500.12592/3…

Gagging higher education in the US An informative and sobering report from @penamerica.bsky.social details how US lawmakers have extended a "web of control" through educational gag orders, policies undermining institutional autonomy, and federal overreach. coilink.org/20.500.12592/2…

Waste in #Space With satellite launches and the volume of #waste both increasing exponentially, the risk of one hitting the other only grows. @ESA @esa.int monitors this risk. coilink.org/20.500.12592/7… has data, policy and mitigation updates.

What is a podcast? As we begin to index podcasts in Policy Commons (suggestions welcome! mailto:toby.green@coherentdigital.net) Edison Research poses the question, what exactly are they and why are they so hard to sustain? coilink.org/20.500.12592/6…

The America First Policy Institute blames 'freeloading rich countries’ for the high prices Americans pay for their pills (or are they simply better negotiators?) coilink.org/20.500.12592/1…

Trumps' #tariffs and drugs The @BMJ reckons Trump’s tariffs could break fragile pharmaceutical supply chains coilink.org/20.500.12592/8… (who knew that the world’s supply of paracetamol is made in a handful of giant factories in China and India?). @bmj.com

Trump's #tariffs The “500 page report” that Trump waved around during his announcement - it’s actually 397 pages - is here coilink.org/20.500.12592/3…. (it may quickly become an historical country-by-country snapshot of the pre-Trump tariff world.)

Trump’s #tariffs The Roosevelt Institute, who dubbed his announcement a ‘tantrum’, explains how they came about coilink.org/20.500.12592/z…, while Coalition for a Prosperous America argues why they’re needed coilink.org/20.500.12592/2…. @rooseveltinst @rooseveltinstitute.org