POLITICO Tech

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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.

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780 episodes

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.

16m
Mar 27
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.

17m
Mar 26
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.

24m
Mar 25
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.

19m
Mar 22
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.

15m
Mar 21
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.

11m
Mar 20
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.

24m
Mar 19
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.

19m
Mar 18
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.

18m
Mar 15
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.

21m
Mar 14
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.

17m
Mar 13
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.

15m
Mar 12
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.

17m
Mar 11
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.

17m
Mar 08
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.

18m
Mar 07
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.

15m
Mar 06
Comparing digital strategies on the 2024 campaign trail

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.

19m
Mar 05
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.

16m
Mar 04
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.

18m
Mar 01
‘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.

16m
Feb 29
'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.

17m
Feb 28
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.

16m
Feb 27
The social media content moderation laws before SCOTUS today

The 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.

16m
Feb 26
How AI is changing Homeland Security from the inside out

The 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 Homeland Security.

20m
Feb 23
How federal agencies are fighting deepfakes

Washington 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.

18m
Feb 22
Biden's chips problem in Michigan

A 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, ultimately complicating his re-election effort. Host Steven Overly talks with reporter Christine Mui about the tensions over chips money.

12m
Feb 21
Parler’s ousted CEO is trying for a second act

John 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 election and how exactly he plans to do things differently this time.

22m
Feb 20
Tech layoffs are 'the new normal'

Tech 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.

16m
Feb 16
The U.S. president is on TikTok. Now what?

President 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.

16m
Feb 15
The UK’s new crypto minister comes to Washington

The 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.

18m
Feb 14