The largest tech antitrust case in nearly 25 years begins today as the Justice Department takes on Google over the dominance of its search business. POLITICO’s Josh Sisco joins today’s episode to tell Steven Overly what to expect from the multi-month saga and why it’s just the start of a longer legal war with Big Tech.
12 min
377
The House is back — what's on its tech agenda?
On today's episode, POLITICO reporters Rebecca Kern and Brendan Bordelon join Steven Overly to break down what to expect from the House this fall on AI, quantum computing, online safety, TikTok and more.
18 min
378
Labor unions see an upside to AI — under the ri...
Workers are increasingly anxious about how companies use artificial intelligence -- just look at the actors and writers striking in Hollywood. But the labor movement isn’t actually against the emerging technology. On POLITICO Tech, the AFL-CIO’s Amanda Ballantyne tells Steven Overly that policies just need to be in place to ensure AI isn’t against workers.
17 min
379
Rep. Ted Lieu on what he wants to see from Cong...
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Ca) is one of the few members of Congress with a background in computer science. But lawmakers don’t need tech expertise to regulate AI, he tells Steven Overly.
21 min
380
This tech exec has a plan to rein in AI
Mustafa Suleyman, the chief executive of Inflection AI and a co-founder of Google DeepMind, argues there are 10 steps that governments and companies should take to mitigate the most destructive threats posed by artificial intelligence.
19 min
381
The Senate's back — here's what's on its tech a...
There will be a lot of chatter about artificial intelligence in the Senate this fall. But will that lead to any action? On today's episode, POLITICO reporters Rebecca Kern and Brendan Bordelon join Steven Overly to break down what to expect from the Senate this fall on AI, online safety, TikTok and more.
16 min
382
'I thought somebody had shown me an alien' - Co...
Simon Rich did not believe artificial intelligence could ever take his job as a screenwriter, humorist and novelist. Then, a friend at OpenAI showed him an AI model that stunned him — one that was more creative and more problematic than ChatGPT. On POLITICO Tech, Rich tells Steven Overly why he now feels a need to alert others about the possible future AI will wrought.
22 min
383
California on a collision course over autonomou...
California has become the epicenter of a political fight over the future of self-driving cars. Tensions between labor unions and industry groups over the technology are running high in San Francisco and Sacramento. On POLITICO Tech, Steven Overly talks with California politics reporter Jeremy White about where this tussle is headed and why the state's tech-friendly governor has entered the mix.
19 min
384
Education’s AI future has schools shook
Generative AI programs like ChatGPT have rocked schools across the country and given rise to a new wave of cheating scandals. But as teachers return to the classroom, some see reason to embrace the technology as a new learning tool. On POLITICO Tech, we talk to Principal Kip Glazer about navigating that tricky balance at a high school in the heart of Silicon Valley.
18 min
385
What Google wants from Washington on AI
Google’s Kent Walker was among the tech executives who signed last month’s White House AI safety pledge. On POLITICO Tech, he tells Steven Overly why he wants to see it become a global model, and why some of AI’s legal risks are still unclear.
16 min
386
One tech's bold idea: AI is the new atomic ener...
Charles Jennings ran software companies for decades. The last one developed AI-powered facial recognition technology. But now he argues the most sophisticated artificial intelligence systems are too powerful to be left in private hands. On today’s POLITICO Tech, Jennings tells Steven Overly why the government should take over.
18 min
387
Meet the anti-hate group agitating Elon Musk an...
The Center for Countering Digital Hate tracks hate speech and harmful content across social media platforms like TikTok and X. And in recent weeks, the tiny organization has drawn heat from Elon Musk and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan for its work. On today’s POLITICO Tech, CEO Imran Ahmed tells Steven Overly how his organization is now responding by “setting a few” fires of its own.
15 min
388
Washington asked for hackers’ help. What happen...
DC went all out for a major hacking convention this week. On today’s POLITICO Tech, Steven Overly and Mohar Chatterjee discuss the unconventional but necessary alliance between the federal government and the hacking community, and what to expect next.
19 min
389
This Republican fought tech market power and lo...
Republican Congressman Ken Buck pushed for legislation to challenge the market dominance of companies like Google and Amazon. Many of those bills fell short. On today's POLITICO Tech, Buck tells Steven Overly how he is “laying the groundwork” for a future fight while shifting focus to more viable issues, including artificial intelligence.
19 min
390
Inside Trudeau’s standoff with Big Tech
Canada’s Liberal government picked a fight with two U.S. tech giants by passing legislation forcing Meta and Google to pay news publishers for content. But the battle hasn’t gone quite as expected. Steven Overly talks with Politico Canada reporter Kyle Duggan about Canada's stalemate with Meta and Google.
15 min
391
Affirmative action critics come for the tech in...
The Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action has prompted conservatives to target corporate diversity programs. On their list are the biggest companies in tech, an industry that has long struggled to hire a diverse workforce. On today's POLITICO Tech, Steven Overly talks with Brookings Institution expert Nicol Turner Lee about the potential consequences — for the companies and for their users.
14 min
392
The hackers backed by the White House
A major gathering of “white hat” hackers will attack popular AI systems this weekend in an attempt to uncover security flaws. The so-called “red-teaming” exercise has attracted the support of the White House amid questions about the security of these powerful technologies. POLITICO tech reporter Mohar Chatterjee talks to one of the event’s organizers, SeedAI founder Austin Carson.
12 min
393
Why 2024 will be the deepfake election
The 2024 campaign cycle is expected to unleash a torrent of AI-generated “deepfake” videos and images capable of deceiving voters. The Federal Election Commission is scheduled to vote today on a petition, initiated by advocacy group Public Citizen, that calls for banning political campaigns from distributing fake audio, video and images of their opponents. But the measure has failed before and early attempts to address the issue in Washington have hit political headwinds. On today's episode, Steven Overly talks with Public Citizen President Robert Weissman about the threats these forgeries present for politicians and voters alike.
19 min
394
Meet the Commerce official about to dole out bi...
Biden authorized $52 billion to rebuild the U.S. semiconductor industry one year ago today. Mike Schmidt is the guy charged with doling out the money. As director of the Commerce Department’s CHIPS Program Office, he manages the national security and finance experts picking the projects that will get a boost from taxpayers. On today’s episode, Schmidt lays out the agency’s vetting process — even as some questions remain unanswered, like how the U.S. and its allies will prevent a subsidies war.
16 min
395
The EU diplomat wooing and warning Silicon Valley
Gerard de Graaf opened the European Union’s first San Francisco office nearly a year ago, making him the bloc’s de facto ambassador to the U.S. tech industry. His position is part cop, part counselor, part hype man. De Graaf speaks with Steven Overly about the EU’s ambitions in Silicon Valley and what has surprised him most about the place, including CEOs who are more comfortable with regulation than their lobbyists suggest.
18 min
396
Inside the tech 'embassies' of Silicon Valley
First came Denmark. Then the U.K. and, more recently, the EU. A growing list of governments are setting up de facto embassies in Silicon Valley, largely to develop closer relationships with tech companies. POLITICO’s Steven Overly and Brendan Bordelon break down the purpose of these outposts, what they’re really like on the inside, and what they signal about the political and commercial pull of the U.S.’s largest tech hub.
17 min
397
Justine Bateman says the AI apocalypse is comin...
On Friday, writers and studios are slated to hold the first talks they will have had in three months. Steven Overly talks with filmmaker Justine Bateman, who predicts expects artificial intelligence will be the harbinger of the end of movies and television as we know it.
20 min
398
One GOP senator's case against a big AI bill
Republican Todd Young is one of four senators charting the chamber’s path forward on artificial intelligence — a path he doesn’t expect will lead to sweeping AI legislation. In this episode, Steven Overly talks with Young about his vision for regulating this fast-moving technology and why the solution to concerns about bias, national security and even "doomsday scenarios" lies outside Congress.
16 min
399
Biden's microchip man says goodbye
Ronnie Chatterji — one of President Biden's key players on microchips — is leaving the White House this week, Politico exclusively reports. Chatterji joined the Commerce Department during the height of the supply chain crisis and quickly focused his attention on chips. Steven Overly talks with Chatterji about what’s left to do on chips, how well global competition is being managed, and what to watch for next.
15 min
400
Introducing POLITICO Tech!
Starting Wednesday, the 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.