POLITICO Tech AI, China, and the fight over free speech: Takeaways from POLITICO’s Tech Summit
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Sep 18, 2025 Brendan Bordelon and Anthony Adragna, both insightful POLITICO technology reporters, dive into the heated discussions from the recent AI & Tech Summit. They explore the partisan battles over online speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, revealing tensions and differing strategies among lawmakers. The conversation also highlights the dichotomy between federal AI policy and state regulations, particularly California's approach, along with rising concerns about the influence of government on tech firms.
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Limits Of First Amendment Protection
- The First Amendment protects almost all speech but excludes narrow categories like incitement and fighting words.
- Brendan Carr emphasized that incitement to violence is not protected speech under existing precedent.
GOP Split After Kirk Assassination
- Republicans showed division after the Charlie Kirk assassination, with some pulling back from aggressive calls to ban or prosecute speech.
- Brendan Bordelon noted the Trump administration is likely to keep pushing for broader crackdowns despite intra-party splits.
Use Naming And Shaming As Leverage
- Use public pressure like naming and shaming as a non-legal consequence for objectionable speech.
- Ted Cruz argued that naming and shaming is a First Amendment consequence and part of democratic response.
