America Innovates: Celebrating 250 Years

InnovationAIAmerica Innovates: Celebrating 250 YearsByJohn Werner,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I am an MIT Senior Fellow & Lecturer, 5x-founder & VC investing in AIFollow AuthorJun 08, 2026, 06:26pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.vision for success ideas. businessman's perspective for future planning. Silhouette of man holding binoculars on mountain peak against bright sunlight sky background.getty It’s the 250th anniversary of America, and there’s a lot of attention paid to history in Boston, where we were at the epicenter of the American Revolution in 1776. But there’s also a lot going on in terms of looking at the future, and the next 250 years: what will we see, in America and around the world, with AI?That’s part of the buzz around the America Innovates conference in San Francisco, which happened May 16-18, with the involvement of Forbes. I went and saw a lot of what happened there, including the exhibit at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion, and how a lot of people attended just to see what’s on the horizon in these interesting times.I also facilitated a panel on American innovation, with my friend and colleague Alvin Graylin, who has his own transnational experience, Cinnamon Sipper, co-founder of Godela, and Daniel McGill from Joby Aviation.Notes on AdvancesI first asked Graylin to talk about the respective strengths and weaknesses of approaches to AI in both America and China.“The key thing right now for America is that it has been the source of innovation for technology space for the last several decades, and it's doing that right, but what it's doing wrong now is that it is doing everything that it can to destroy the source and engine of that, with essentially decimating the education system, and the immigration system that brings the best minds into this country, as well as investing in research...