POLITICO Tech
799 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 21 hours ago - ★★★★ - 364 ratingsThe POLITICO Tech podcast is your daily download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy. From AI and the metaverse to disinformation and microchips, we explore how today’s technology is shaping our world — and driving the policy decisions, global rivalries and industries that will matter tomorrow.
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Episodes
Inside the Chinese embassy’s quiet lobbying on TikTok
April 19, 2024 09:00 - 9 minutes - 7.67 MBOfficials from the Chinese embassy have been making the rounds on Capitol Hill as U.S. lawmakers weigh a forced sale of the video-sharing app TikTok. Reporter Hailey Fuchs joins POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly to explain what happened inside the meetings and how they could complicate TikTok’s own lobbying efforts.
Ciao. Adios. Au revoir. Will AI squash European languages?
April 18, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 14 MBOur language is fundamental to our cultural identity. And many European countries worry artificial intelligence will erase those languages and the cultures that come with them. But could those fears really be code for falling behind in the AI race? POLITICO reporter Gian Volpicelli joins host Steven Overly to discuss.
‘Godzilla vs. Kong: AI Edition’: Talking net neutrality with a former FCC chair
April 17, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutes - 15.2 MBThe Federal Communications Commission will vote next week to restore regulations that require internet service providers to treat websites equally, otherwise known as net neutrality. Tom Wheeler was the chair of the FCC the last time those rules were put in place. He joins POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly to talk about how artificial intelligence gives new life to this old policy battle.
The White House defends contentious foreign surveillance law
April 16, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 14.1 MBThe future of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act now lies in the Senate, following a contentious path to reauthorization in the House last week. Behind the scenes, the Biden administration has been pressing both chambers to extend the law -- and successfully pushing back on some proposed reforms. On POLITICO Tech, National Security Council legal adviser Joshua Geltzer defends the need for government spy programs amid simmering global conflicts.
This tax day, how AI is changing up the IRS
April 15, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 13.9 MBToday, we’re talking taxes. Stanford law professor Dan Ho has been working with the IRS to figure out how machine learning and artificial intelligence can improve the agency -- including a study he led last year that found evidence of racial bias in its audits. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks with Ho about using AI to root our human bias, and how the technology is changing up Tax Day.
The controversy around FISA, a key foreign surveillance law, explained
April 12, 2024 09:00 - 14 minutes - 11.7 MBThe House is expected to vote on a key foreign surveillance law set to expire next week. The fight over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, has pit national security hawks who defend the government surveillance program against lawmakers who say it's been used to unlawfully spy on American citizens. Host Steven Overly unpacks the criticisms with Elizabeth Goitein, a former Capitol Hill attorney who now leads the Liberty and National Security Program at NYU’s Brennan Center for ...
‘Picture your MAGA auntie's Twitter account’: Why a Chinese disinformation group started imitating Americans
April 11, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 14.3 MBThe Chinese disinformation network known as Spamouflage has never gotten much traction on social media. Then, a small number of accounts started pretending to be American. On POLITICO Tech, senior analyst Elise Thomas from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue explains why pro-Trump and anti-Biden tweets from a group with ties to the Chinese Communist Party may signal deeper concerns about 2024 election interference.
A skeptic's guide to the new data privacy bill
April 10, 2024 09:00 - 14 minutes - 11.8 MBThere’s a new data privacy bill floating around Capitol Hill this week -- backed by the chairs of two powerful committees. And at first glance, it seems to have a lot of potential. But POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly and privacy reporter Alfred Ng discuss the sticking points that could cause the legislation to stall.
One critic's case for why artificial intelligence is actually dumb
April 09, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutes - 14.8 MBGary Marcus is a cognitive scientist and serial entrepreneur who is an AI critic, and not shy about it. He’s one of the tech experts pushing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and others in Washington to pass sweeping and stringent legislation to rein in AI -- technology that he doesn’t actually think is very smart. Gary has written a piece for POLITICO magazine, out tomorrow, arguing what all should be included in a big AI bill. And he talked with Steven Overly to make his case.
Millions of kids use Roblox. Now, it wants Washington’s attention.
April 08, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutes - 15.2 MBIf 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.
How the U.S. is becoming more like China on tech
April 05, 2024 09:00 - 23 minutes - 19.1 MBThe 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.
What Trump’s return would mean for trans-atlantic tech relations
April 04, 2024 09:00 - 13 minutes - 11.1 MBU.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.
This organization could decide how AI is regulated in health care
April 03, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 13.8 MBAI 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.
What a U.S.-UK AI alliance really means
April 02, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutes - 14.9 MBThe 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.
How surging tech demand will stress America’s power grid
April 01, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBElectricity 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.
The author of 'Broad Band' on what you didn't know about tech’s hidden heroines
March 29, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 13.7 MBClaire Evans, the author of "Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet," joins guest host and Deputy Tech Editor Daniella Cheslow to talk about frequently overlooked female tech pioneers.
The author of ‘Chip War’ on the state of the fight
March 28, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 14.1 MBChris 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.
Connecticut is looking to be a first mover on AI regulation
March 27, 2024 09:00 - 16 minutes - 13.2 MBThe 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.
Mozilla took on Big Web. Now, it’s taking on Big AI.
March 26, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBTensions 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.
Chinese hackers and the Rubik’s Cube: One-on-one with CISA Director Jen Easterly
March 25, 2024 09:00 - 24 minutes - 19.3 MBThe 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.
My mom's Facebook got hacked. Here's what happened next
March 22, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutes - 15.7 MBSocial 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.
Intel lobbied hard for chips money — and got a big payout
March 21, 2024 09:00 - 15 minutes - 12.2 MBThe 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.
Why states are losing the fight to protect voters from doxxing
March 20, 2024 09:00 - 11 minutes - 9.22 MBThe 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.
SEC chair Gensler on AI's threat to Wall Street: "I don't want everybody to drive off the cliff"
March 19, 2024 09:00 - 24 minutes - 19.3 MBSecurities 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.
SCOTUS to tackle online disinformation today
March 18, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutes - 15.3 MBShould 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.
The AI doctor will see you now
March 15, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutes - 15 MBArtificial 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.
What’s next in TikTok’s Washington drama
March 14, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutes - 17 MBThe 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.
Why the U.S. Army is recruiting at South By Southwest
March 13, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 13.8 MBSouth 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.
A new political playbook for countering disinformation
March 12, 2024 09:00 - 15 minutes - 12 MBThe 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.
Put down your pencil. The SAT has officially gone digital
March 11, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 14 MBThe 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.
Why AI could be the death and rebirth of high school English
March 08, 2024 10:00 - 17 minutes - 14 MBGenerative 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.
What tech to put on your State of the Union bingo card
March 07, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes - 15.2 MBPresident 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.
The AI behind Israel’s strikes on Gaza
March 06, 2024 10:00 - 15 minutes - 12.1 MBIsrael 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.
Comparing digital strategies on the 2024 campaign trail
March 05, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutes - 15.8 MBIt’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.
What a 2024 campaign looks like online
March 05, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutes - 15.8 MBIt’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.
The White House's AI guy on the data Biden doesn’t want China to get
March 04, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 13.6 MBThe 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.
Finance, health, cars: The data Biden doesn’t want China to get
March 04, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 13.6 MBThe 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.
How Russia outmaneuvers U.S. tech restrictions
March 01, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes - 14.8 MBIn 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.
‘It's a tug-of-war’: Public vs. expert opinions on AI
February 29, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 13.3 MBA 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.
'Any nightmare use for data you can think of will probably happen'
February 28, 2024 10:00 - 17 minutes - 14.4 MBSteven 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.
Inside the Brussels spyware crisis
February 27, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 12.8 MBAt 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.
The social media content moderation laws before SCOTUS today
February 26, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 13.2 MBThe Supreme Court will hear arguments in two lawsuits today -- the outcomes of which could shape the way governments regulate social media. At issue are laws in Texas and Florida that put restrictions on how platforms like Facebook, YouTube and X police online material. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks to Carl Szabo, the general counsel at NetChoice, a tech association challenging the social media laws in Texas and Florida.
How AI is changing Homeland Security from the inside out
February 23, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes - 16.4 MBThe Department of Homeland Security has an enormous footprint. Everything from policing the southern border to processing visas for high skilled immigrants, Investigations into child sexual material online, domestic security threats, and election security. So how DHS brings AI to bear is going to have an outsized impact on the American people, And behind those decisions at DHS is Eric Hysen. On today's episode, Mohar Chatterjee talks with Eric Hysen, chief AI officer at the Department of Home...
How federal agencies are fighting deepfakes
February 22, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes - 14.7 MBWashington is in the midst of its first real crackdown on AI-generated deepfakes, as federal agencies take action to combat robocalls, election misinformation and fraud. But will it be enough? Public Citizen CEO Robert Weissman tackles that question with host Steven Overly on today’s POLITICO Tech.
Biden's chips problem in Michigan
February 21, 2024 10:00 - 12 minutes - 10.1 MBA Michigan company called Hemlock Semiconductor got the red carpet treatment from President Joe Biden back in 2022. As Biden stood outside the White House, he pledged the CHIPS and Science Act would support Hemlock and other suppliers. But things haven’t fully panned out that way for Hemlock. Other companies similarly argue that Biden’s landmark CHIPS and Science Act should provide more money for microchip suppliers -- otherwise, it risks falling short on his national security goals, ultimat...
Parler’s ousted CEO is trying for a second act
February 20, 2024 10:00 - 22 minutes - 18.1 MBJohn Matze is the former CEO of Parler. You might recall, that’s the social media app that became a favorite for far-right personalities spreading conspiracies during the 2020 election. And he was fired in the wake of the Jan. 6th insurrection, an attack he said at the time was not Parler’s fault. Now, John is trying for a second act with a new app that’s part social media, part news aggregator. On POLITICO Tech, John tells host Steven Overly what he learned from his handling of the last elec...
Tech layoffs are 'the new normal'
February 16, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 13.4 MBTech companies worldwide have laid off nearly 35,000 workers so far this year, adding to the worst stretch of job cuts the industry has seen in decades. In the U.S., cities dependent on the tech sector like Seattle and San Francisco are among the hardest hit. On POLITICO Tech, University of Washington professor Jeff Shulman joins host Steven Overly to explore the economic and political impact of tech’s big layoffs.
The U.S. president is on TikTok. Now what?
February 15, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 13.1 MBPresident Joe Biden officially joined TikTok this week -- a surprise that may have delighted no one more than TikTok itself. The video sharing app has been sharply criticized in Washington over supposed ties to China, and the Biden campaign’s decision to sign up marks a political win. But how should Biden actually use the platform? On POLITICO Tech, reporters Hailey Fuchs and Rachel Janfaza help us take a scroll through Biden’s TikTok.
The UK’s new crypto minister comes to Washington
February 14, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes - 14.5 MBThe U.K.’s Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Bim Afolami, is making a swing through the U.S. and Canada this week, pitching his home country as a hub for crypto and fintech. Afolami sat down with POLITICO Tech ahead of meetings in Washington to discuss transatlantic crypto regulation, and told host Steven Overly that he doesn’t expect the U.K. and U.S. to see eye-to-eye on rules. In fact, he expects to compete over them.
AI in elections? A former Facebook exec says it's time to ‘panic responsibly’
February 13, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutes - 15.9 MBA series of recent headlines about politicians using AI-generated deepfakes of themselves got us thinking the gray areas in how artificial intelligence can be used on the campaign trail. In Indonesia, the front runner for president is a military general using an AI-generated cartoon as his campaign image. And in Pakistan, the former prime minister used an AI-generated video to declare victory — from prison. On the show today, Katie Harbath, who spent a decade on Facebook’s public policy team ...