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POLITICO Tech

POLITICOwww.politico.com
The POLITICO Tech podcast is your download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy. New episodes Mondays and Thursdays.

Episodes

Millions of kids use Roblox. Now, it wants Washington’s attention.

If you haven’t heard of Roblox, your kids certainly have. It’s an online platform for games and other virtual experiences, and most of its users are under 17 years old. As Congress weighs kids’ online safety legislation, Roblox is dispatching its CEO and other executives to D.C. this week. POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly caught up with Roblox policy chief Nicky Jackson Colaco to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 08, 202419 min

How the U.S. is becoming more like China on tech

The Biden administration is in the midst of its latest attempt at a diplomatic reset with China, its chief geopolitical rival on all things tech. Council on Foreign Relations President Mike Froman — who served as U.S. trade representative during President Barack Obama’s second term — joins POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly to discuss the Biden administration’s protectionist economic policies, and why becoming “more like China” may be necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

Apr 05, 202424 min

What Trump’s return would mean for trans-atlantic tech relations

U.S. and European officials will meet in Belgium today and tomorrow for the latest gathering of the Trade and Technology Council, a body meant to mend the trans-atlantic relationship following four years of President Donald Trump. But the TTC is now weighing its next act — and what it means if Trump returns to power. POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly and POLITICO tech correspondent Mark Scott discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 04, 202414 min

This organization could decide how AI is regulated in health care

AI is coming to health systems — in fact, it's already here. As it rolls out, the government is taking a light approach to regulation, issuing guidance, but no binding rules. The Coalition for Health AI is working to develop standards for vetting health care AI via assurance labs. Politico reporter Ruth Reader talks with host Steven Overly and then Dr. Brian Anderson, the CEO of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), about how to create safeguards around these new technologies. Learn more about you...

Apr 03, 202417 min

What a U.S.-UK AI alliance really means

The U.S. and UK have inked a memorandum of understanding that will see the allies join forces on AI safety research and testing. But what will that mean in reality? On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with UK tech secretary Michelle Donelan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 02, 202419 min

How surging tech demand will stress America’s power grid

Electricity demand in the United States is projected to skyrocket over the next decade, partly because of the rising power needs of data centers and electric vehicles. That poses big challenges for the power grid. Today, host Catherine Morehouse sits down with Rob Gramlich, founder and president of consulting firm Grid Strategies, to discuss whether the grid can handle this surge in power demand — and what happens if it can’t. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 01, 202419 min

The author of ‘Chip War’ on the state of the fight

Chris Miller wrote the definitive book on microchips. Now, the author of “Chip War” joins guest host Phelim Kine to break down the U.S. strategy for becoming a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, and the implications for the country’s ever-complicated relationship with China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 28, 202418 min

Connecticut is looking to be a first mover on AI regulation

The state level is really where the tech action is at right now. On today’s Politico Tech, Morning Tech author Mallory Culhane sits in for Steven Overly to talk with Connecticut State Senator James Maroney, who helped get the state’s data privacy law across the finish line in 2022, and who now has shifted gears to artificial intelligence. They discuss S.B. 2, a comprehensive tech bill, and Maroney’s hopes for Connecticut in AI regulation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

Mar 27, 202416 min

Mozilla took on Big Web. Now, it’s taking on Big AI.

Tensions between large and small tech companies over the rules for artificial intelligence are already palpable. On POLITICO Tech, Linda Griffin from Mozilla tells host Steven Overly why Mozilla sees competition as key to minimizing the risks of AI -- and is looking to global regulators to level the playing field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 26, 202417 min

Chinese hackers and the Rubik’s Cube: One-on-one with CISA Director Jen Easterly

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also known as CISA, is tasked with tackling two of Washington’s biggest and most politically fraught challenges: confronting Chinese hackers and securing U.S. elections. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Maggie Miller sits down with CISA Director Jen Easterly to discuss the agency’s plans for both this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 25, 202424 min

My mom's Facebook got hacked. Here's what happened next

Social media hacking and the scams that come with it affect thousands of people each year -- including host Steven Overly’s mom. It can be a major inconvenience for those cut off from friends and loved ones, and a serious financial and emotional burden for those who lose money in the process. John Breyault from the National Consumers League joins POLITICO Tech to talk social media scams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 22, 202420 min

Intel lobbied hard for chips money — and got a big payout

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it will provide Intel with subsidies, grants and tax credits in exchange for building new manufacturing and research facilities in the U.S. Combined, Intel’s haul could be worth as much as $44.5 billion. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Brendan Bordelon explains how the company lobbied its way to a big payday, and why President Joe Biden sees the deal as a political winner on the campaign trail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...

Mar 21, 202415 min

Why states are losing the fight to protect voters from doxxing

The names and addresses of millions of Americans can be found online through voter registration records. And some states argue that’s a privacy concern as voters are targeted with doxxing and harassment. But their efforts to change public disclosure laws have garnered pushback from conservative election transparency advocates. POLITICO reporter Alfred Ng joins host Steven Overly to dissect the tensions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 20, 202412 min

SEC chair Gensler on AI's threat to Wall Street: "I don't want everybody to drive off the cliff"

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler warns on today’s episode of POLITICO Tech that Wall Street’s headlong rush to embrace artificial intelligence could create new weaknesses in the U.S. financial system. The solution, Gensler says, requires Washington regulators to band together in a new way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 202424 min

SCOTUS to tackle online disinformation today

Should the government be telling social media companies what misinformation to remove? That’s the central question in a major tech case being heard at the Supreme Court today. On POLITICO Tech, Nina Jankowicz from the Centre for Information Resilience delves into the chilling effect the lawsuit has had on efforts to combat online disinformation ahead of the 2024 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 18, 202419 min

The AI doctor will see you now

Artificial intelligence has begun to transform health care. But how do you separate the promise from the hype? And will only the rich actually benefit? Host Steven Overly asked those questions at the POLITICO Live Heath Care Summit this week, including during a live interview with Dr. Andrew Trister from Google’s life sciences company, Verily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 15, 202419 min

What’s next in TikTok’s Washington drama

The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to force a sale, and perhaps eventually a ban, of the video sharing app TikTok. But many hurdles remain before that becomes a reality. And the drama surrounding the legislation reveals just how convoluted TikTok politics have become. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly breaks down what will likely happen next with national security lawyer and former Commerce Department official Nazak Nikakhtar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

Mar 14, 202421 min

Why the U.S. Army is recruiting at South By Southwest

South By Southwest took over Austin. The annual tech and entertainment festival attracts an eccentric crowd, which this year includes a strong contingent of Washington policymakers and U.S. defense officials. Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson joins POLITICO Tech from Texas to explain how AI and politics have made a splash at the gathering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 13, 202417 min

A new political playbook for countering disinformation

The rise in online disinformation has forced political campaigns to develop a new playbook. Journalist Sasha Issenberg tackles that subject in his new book, “The Lie Detectives.” He joins POLITICO Tech to break down lessons from the front lines of the 2020 election and how campaigns are applying them this time around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 12, 202415 min

Put down your pencil. The SAT has officially gone digital

The Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, has long been a rite of passage for students applying to college in the U.S. Now, the test has undergone a digital transformation that became official over the weekend. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks through the technological challenges posed by an electronic test and how its administrator has tried to overcome them with the College Board’s Priscilla Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 11, 202417 min

Why AI could be the death and rebirth of high school English

Generative artificial intelligence is transforming the way students learn to read and write. To understand how, POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly called up California high school teacher Daniel Herman. Herman’s students are using AI today -- and he believes the technology will fundamentally change English class as we know it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 08, 202417 min

What tech to put on your State of the Union bingo card

President Joe Biden will deliver the State of the Union address tonight. And while tech probably won’t dominate the speech, Biden could mention issues like AI, microchips and competition with China. MIT fellow R. David Edelman contributed to State of the Union speeches during his time as a tech adviser to President Barack Obama. On POLITICO Tech, Edelman tells host Steven Overly what goes into the big address and what Biden might say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

Mar 07, 202419 min

The AI behind Israel’s strikes on Gaza

Israel is using artificial intelligence to identify strike targets in Gaza as it goes after Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks. Critics are now pressing for details on the technology as the death toll surpasses 30,000 Palestinians. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Joseph Gedeon joins host Steven Overly to explain how AI is being used today and how defense officials expect it to remain a fixture of conflicts to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 06, 202415 min

What a 2024 campaign looks like online

It’s Super Tuesday — and President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are expected to be the big winners. But the digital campaign is not exactly a 2020 rematch. On POLITICO Tech, Republican digital strategist Eric Wilson dives into how the 2024 cycle looks different online and who seems to be coming out ahead with host Steven Overly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 05, 202420 min

The White House's AI guy on the data Biden doesn’t want China to get

The Biden administration escalated its tech war with China last week, taking a pair of actions aimed at cracking down on Beijing’s access to data on Americans. Ben Buchanan, the White House special adviser on artificial intelligence, tells host Steven Overly why these latest actions are necessary and how they fit into the president’s AI agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 04, 202417 min

How Russia outmaneuvers U.S. tech restrictions

In the two years since the invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has tried to cut off Russia’s access to microchips and other technology that helps its war effort. But Moscow has proven resilient — and continues to circumvent trade restrictions with the help of its neighbors. On POLITICO Tech, Max Bergmann from the Center for Strategic and International Studies explains how Russia is pulling it off and what more the Biden administration can do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

Mar 01, 202418 min

‘It's a tug-of-war’: Public vs. expert opinions on AI

A new report out today shows that tech experts and the general public don’t see eye to eye on some of the biggest risks posed by artificial intelligence. Lee Rainie from Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center tells host Steven Overly how that disconnect could complicate Washington’s efforts to regulate the fast-moving technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 29, 202417 min

'Any nightmare use for data you can think of will probably happen'

Steven Overly interviews journalist Byron Tau about his newly published book, “Means of Control,” which details how he came to learn that a trove of personal information was being peddled to federal agencies by an opaque network of government contractors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 28, 202418 min

Inside the Brussels spyware crisis

At least two lawmakers in the European Parliament have found spyware on their phones. This is a major breach, especially since both members sit on the defense subcommittee. And it shows serious cybersecurity risks as the EU prepares for elections in June. On the show today, Steven talks with POLITICO EU colleague Antoaneta Roussi — who broke this story in a rather unusual way — about the reckoning it’s causing in Brussels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 27, 202416 min