Students in Florida, Indiana and Ohio returned to the classroom this fall with new restrictions on cellphones. It's part of a crackdown on screen time and social media by school administrators and political leaders who fear the technology is harmful to students' learning and mental health. On POLITICO Tech, Stanford professor and former schoolteacher Antero Garcia joins host Steven Overly to explain why he thinks such bans are bad policy — and bound to fail.

Former President Donald Trump plans to tap tech billionaire Elon Musk to lead a new government efficiency commission if elected in November. But it’s a post that would raise conflicts of interest with Musk’s day jobs running Tesla, SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter. On POLITICO Tech, Danielle Brian from the Project on Government Oversight joins host Steven Overly to discuss the ethical concerns at play.

Police officers routinely write reports after traffic stops, robberies and other daily encounters. And increasingly, they’re using artificial intelligence software from police technology company Axon to do it. But POLITICO reporter Alfred Ng found department policies for labeling which reports are AI generated are inconsistent. On POLITICO Tech, Ng breaks down some of the legal and ethical questions the criminal justice system has to sort out as a result.

Russia’s latest effort to meddle in American politics involved a scheme centered on conservative internet influencers in the U.S., the Justice Department revealed recently. It’s yet another sign that the interplay between foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns is as tight as ever. On POLITICO Tech, Bret Schafer from the Alliance for Securing Democracy joins host Steven Overly to break down how that complicates tech companies’ efforts to fight back.

The California legislature passed a sweeping AI safety bill over the opposition of tech industry lobbyists. Now, whether it actually becomes law will depend on Gov. Gavin Newsom. And he has until month’s end to sign or veto it. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Jeremy White joins host Steven Overly to explain who has the most influence on Newsom’s decisions and why it could affect AI regulation in Washington.

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) stepped onto the House floor in July and became the first person to address Congress using artificial intelligence. Wexton was diagnosed last year with an aggressive and incurable brain disease called progressive supranuclear palsy that, among other symptoms, has made her natural speaking voice weaker and less clear. So she turned to an AI replica. On POLITICO Tech, Wexton joins host Steven Overly to talk about using an AI-generated voice, and how her experience has shaped her views on tech regulation and accessibility.

An investment fund for tech startups helping Republicans to win elections has put less money into fewer companies than its Democratic rival. (We talked to them a few episodes back, go give it a listen.) But Eric Wilson, the managing partner at Startup Caucus, contends that doesn’t mean the GOP is behind. On POLITICO Tech, Wilson tells host Steven Overly why Republican campaigns are less reliant on technology than Democrats, at least for now, and how that’s going to change.

With the presidential election just two months away, this is prime disinformation season. The period immediately before and after Election Day is when administrators worry most about campaigns to deceive voters. On POLITICO Tech, Darrell West from the Brookings Institution joins host Steven Overly to discuss the new book “Lies That Kill” and how people can protect themselves from online disinformation.

The tech industry may not be the voting bloc that will matter most come November, but the grassroots group Tech4Kamala is hoping to drown out the billionaire executives backing former President Donald Trump with a groundswell of support from entrepreneurs and workers. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Tech4Kamala co-founder Shannon Nash at the Democratic National Convention to talk about the Silicon Valley divide and why she sees Harris as the most tech-friendly candidate.

Political campaigns are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence, using the technology for behind-the-scenes tasks like writing fundraising emails or social media posts. And in tight races, the best technology (used the right way) can make a big difference. That idea motivated Betsy Hoover and other Democratic campaign veterans to start Higher Ground Labs, a venture fund for left-leaning startups. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly spoke with Hoover on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention about how AI is transforming campaigns and why she thinks technology will help Democrats wins in November.

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.

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.

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.

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 startup that’s racing to build its first small nuclear reactor plant by 2027. They chat about why small nuclear reactor technology is so unique, if the US nuclear revival is truly underway, and the challenges ahead for the industry. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. Kara Tabor is an audio producer for POLITICO. Alex Keeney is a senior audio producer at POLITICO. Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade and technology.

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.

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 savvier about cybersecurity.

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 Mark Graham.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.