Content creators are all over the Democratic National Convention — from the main stage to the “blue carpet” — as the Harris campaign looks to reach young voters through their social media channels. On today’s POLITICO Tech podcast, Steven talks to influencer Olivia Julianna and creator economy expert Lia Haberman about how this new corps of creators are reshaping the way people engage with political news and information online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 21, 2024•15 min
As a former Trump administration official, Adam Candeub was deeply involved in the conservative fight with tech companies over online speech. And since leaving Washington, Candeub has continued that fight at the state level. On POLITICO Tech, Candeub joins host Steven Overly to explain why he thinks returning former President Donald Trump to the White House is vital to free speech and what he should tackle first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 20, 2024•20 min
The Justice Department has been taking victory laps ever since a judge ruled that Google has an illegal monopoly in online search. Now, the legal battle enters a new phase as the court figures out what to do about it. Doha Mekki, the DOJ’s principal deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust, has been a central player in building the case against Google. On POLITICO Tech, she joins host Steven Overly and reporter Josh Sisco to discuss the latest ruling and what it means going forward. Learn...
Aug 19, 2024•21 min
The Biden administration, Congress and American companies are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into small nuclear reactors, which are considered more compact, cheaper and potentially safer than larger traditional nuclear plants. The hope is that these new plants could help reenergize America’s nuclear fleet, but so far, not a single small nuclear reactor plant is operational in the country. Today, guest host Josh Siegel sits down with Jake DeWitte, the CEO of Oklo, a Silicon Valley-based ...
Aug 16, 2024•20 min
Many car companies collect data about your habits behind the wheel. But selling it? That's a new problem. In a lawsuit earlier this week, Texas accused General Motors of selling that information to third parties, including insurance companies, all while deceiving millions of drivers about how their information was collected and used. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Alfred Ng tells host Steven Overly why the case in Texas may be a harbinger of more legal fights to come. Learn more about your ad choice...
Aug 15, 2024•11 min
Hackers infiltrated the Trump campaign and made off with sensitive documents, a major breach that is now under investigation by the FBI. The ordeal is reminiscent of the 2016 election, when Russian hackers hit the campaign of then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Michael Kaiser is the CEO of Defending Digital Campaigns, a nonpartisan organization that provides campaigns with cybersecurity software. On POLITICO Tech, Kaiser tells host Steven Overly why these risks persist even as campaigns get...
Aug 14, 2024•17 min
The transition from one presidential administration to the next is generally thought to start around Election Day and end with the inauguration. But for the Internet Archive, it’s already underway. The nonprofit leads a coalition of libraries and universities that works to preserve the government’s digital history and to protect it from partisan tampering during administration changes. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly discusses what it takes to archive a president with the Internet Archive’s...
Aug 13, 2024•21 min
Elon Musk has made a lot of headlines in the last week — for clashing with government officials, amplifying misinformation and suing advertisers on X, formerly known as Twitter. And he could make more when he sits down with former President Donald Trump tonight. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly interviews UCLA professor Sarah Roberts about Musk’s control of X and the state of his influence in politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 12, 2024•18 min
Conservatives have mounted an attack on diversity and inclusion programs over the last couple of years. And as a result, a number of tech companies have scaled back initiatives aimed at diversifying their workforce. That dynamic is posing new challenges for organizations like The Hidden Genius Project, which teaches young Black men about tech and entrepreneurship. On POLITICO Tech, CEO Brandon Nicholson tells host Steven Overly how his national nonprofit is navigating this new political reality....
Aug 09, 2024•18 min
Cryptocurrency has gotten outsized attention on the campaign trail. Former President Donald Trump has tried to position himself as the crypto candidate. Vice President Kamala Harris’ stance is less clear. But POLITICO reporter Jasper Goodman says digital currency companies have fought back from major scandals — with the help of deep-pocketed donors — to be part of the policy conversation. He joins POLITICO Tech to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 08, 2024•16 min
Google recently lost an antitrust lawsuit against its online search business. Nvidia’s latest acquisition of an artificial intelligence company is under review. The scrutiny of Big Tech’s market dominance is not slowing down. But some in Silicon Valley are hopeful the November election will bring a reset. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Josh Sisco breaks down the latest antitrust rulings and investigations, and whether a change in administration will make a big difference. Learn more about your ad ch...
Aug 07, 2024•12 min
The term “digital divide” has been around for decades. It’s been used to describe the gap between people who have access to modern technology and people who don’t — but Nicol Turner Lee wants to reframe that. She prefers the term “digitally invisible,” which is also the title of her new book out today. Turner Lee is the director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution, and joined Steven Overly to talk about how to close the technology gap. Learn more about your ad ch...
Aug 06, 2024•19 min
Silicon Valley appears to be pulling apart at the seams over the 2024 presidential race. Tech executives and investors are breaking into camps for Kamala Harris and Donald Trump — and fighting over their political leanings on social media. Box CEO Aaron Levie joins POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly to talk about the political climate in Silicon Valley and the candidate who has his vote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 05, 2024•18 min
The artificial intelligence explosion has brought big profits to Nvidia — and greater scrutiny over the technology’s energy consumption. As AI's environmental impact becomes increasingly political, Nvidia is aiming to make the case that the technology is not only efficient but necessary for solving the climate crisis. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly questions the company’s stance that AI will be an energy saver with Josh Parker, Nvidia's senior director of corporate sustainability. Learn mo...
Aug 02, 2024•17 min
Kamala Harris and her record are under the microscope now that she’s the presumptive Democratic nominee. And as vice president, Harris took some of her cues on artificial intelligence from civil rights and labor groups. Maya Wiley, the CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, is among those who conferred with Harris. On POLITICO Tech, Wiley joins host Steven Overly to discuss how Harris could tackle AI and other tech issues if elected president. Learn more about your ad choice...
Aug 01, 2024•21 min
The Senate has taken its biggest swing yet at regulating social media and how it’s used by children. On Tuesday, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act. But the legislation has been the subject of a major lobbying campaign, and those advocates from the tech industry, parents’ groups and civil society will now bear down on the House. POLITICO reporter Ruth Reader joins host Steven Overly to explain the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Jul 31, 2024•13 min
There’s an ongoing debate over powerful AI models: open v. closed. The Biden administration has been grappling for months with where it stands on this issue and, in a report released on Tuesday, came out in support of open models — at least for now. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Assistant Commerce Secretary Alan Davidson, the head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, to discuss the new position and why the government still worries about risks. ...
Jul 30, 2024•14 min
It all started with a coconut tree. Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign has become a sudden social media phenomenon, generating a flurry of funny videos and sassy tweets. But can Harris meme her way to the White House? On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly discusses her new online fandom and whether she can get them to the polls with TikTok influencer and political analyst Quentin Jiles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 29, 2024•19 min
It’s been 270 days since President Joe Biden signed an executive order on artificial intelligence. That makes today a key deadline for the administration to release recommendations for how to make AI more safe and secure, including new guidelines the Commerce Department put out this morning. On POLITICO Tech, Elizabeth Kelly, the inaugural director of the U.S. AI Safety Institute, joins host Steven Overly to discuss the proposed guidelines and her office’s future. Learn more about your ad choice...
Jul 26, 2024•17 min
Last November, Vice President Kamala Harris outlined the Biden administration’s vision for artificial intelligence regulation in a speech at the U.S. embassy in London. But the policy address, delivered on the eve of a major U.K. AI summit, left some British officials feeling upstaged. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Vincent Manancourt revisits the incident in light of Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 25, 2024•14 min
The French are planning a major global gathering — and we’re not talking about the Olympics. The AI Action Summit may still be months out, but planning is already well underway. And it’s an opportunity for President Emmanuel Macron’s government to flex its artificial intelligence ambitions. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Mohar Chatterjee sits down with Anne Bouverot, the French AI envoy tasked with organizing the event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 24, 2024•20 min
Vice President Kamala Harris has raised a lot of money from Silicon Valley over the years. From her campaigns for California Attorney General and U.S. Senator, to her first run at the White House, she’s been backed by executives from the likes of Google, Microsoft and Apple. Now that Harris is more or less the presumptive Democratic nominee, will tech support her again? Adam Kovacevich, the founder and CEO of the tech industry group Chamber of Progress, is making the case for it. He explains on ...
Jul 23, 2024•20 min
Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as president of the European Commission late last week. But another five years with her at the helm doesn’t necessarily mean more of the same tech policy. On POLITICO Tech, senior tech reporter Clothilde Goujard joins from Brussels to explain von der Leyen’s shifting focus from regulation to European competitiveness, and why it could put the European Union and U.S. on a collision course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 22, 2024•15 min
After the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, social media platforms lit up with conspiracies. Speculation about whether it was all a political ploy. Or an inside job. But it wasn’t just happening in the U.S. Emerson Brooking has been tracking Russian propaganda all week as the director of strategy at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. On POLITICO Tech, he joins host Steven Overly to talk about how the Kremlin spun the shooting and what that could mean fo...
Jul 19, 2024•15 min
The Republican National Convention wraps up tonight and, it turns out, tech wasn’t high up on the GOP’s agenda in Milwaukee. But POLITICO reporter Brendan Bordelon nevertheless tracked down the chatter about social media, TikTok, AI and more. He joins POLITICO Tech from Milwaukee to give us the grist on the ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 18, 2024•15 min
In just over a decade, Republican J.D. Vance has risen from law school graduate to best-selling author to U.S. senator to vice presidential nominee. And fueling the ascent has been tech billionaire Peter Thiel. On POLITICO Tech, Brookings Institution senior fellow Darrell West joins host Steven Overly to explain this fortuitous relationship, and the impact it could have on Election Day and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 17, 2024•18 min
Almost immediately after a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally over the weekend, leaving the former president with minor injuries, partisan misinformation and conspiracies flooded social media feeds. Chris Krebs has been tracking the attack and how the internet has responded — from U.S. lawmakers to Russian operatives — for cybersecurity firm SentinelOne. You may recognize Krebs’ name: He was the head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency until Trump fired him in 2020 for refut...
Jul 16, 2024•16 min
The 2024 Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee, and we're sure to hear about ways that the GOP plans to dismantle President Joe Biden's legacy on the tech front. On today's POLITICO Tech, Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt joins host Steven Overly to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act money he's leveraged to bring more clean tech manufacturing to his state — and why he wants incentives to continue. Plus, Stitt’s plans to replace state employees with artificial intelligenc...
Jul 15, 2024•18 min
From the Jetsons to Blade Runner, flying cars have long been part of our vision for the future. They’re also closer than ever to becoming a reality. On this two-part episode of POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly explores why this fascination has persisted for over a century, and whether the sky-bound vehicles being built today are all that sci-fi promised they would be. On today's episode, Steven talks with the head of the Federal Aviation Administration — Michael Whitaker — who explains the gove...
Jul 12, 2024•27 min
From the Jetsons to Blade Runner, flying cars have long been part of our vision for the future. They’re also closer than ever to becoming a reality. On this two-part episode of POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly explores why this fascination has persisted for over a century, and whether the sky-bound vehicles being built today are all that sci-fi promised they would be. Today's show features Jeremy White, WIRED senior innovation editor, and Sheryl Connelly, the former futurist for Ford Motor Comp...
Jul 11, 2024•25 min
