Washington AI Network with Tammy Haddad

Join host Tammy Haddad as she welcomes Ben Brake, Germany’s Director General for Digital and Data Policy at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, to explore how Europe’s regulatory approach to AI and digital policy is shaping its partnership with the United States. Brake responds to Vice President JD Vance’s critique of EU tech oversight, explains what Germany’s election outcome means for innovation, examines how the EU plans to power AI sustainably, and discusses China’s dual role as a competitor and key partner.

In this special on-site episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, host Tammy Haddad reports from the 2025 Paris AI Action Summit at the historic Grand Palais, where French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened top innovators, investors, and policymakers. Tammy interviews SCSP fellow Eli Sugarman on the launch of their Robust Open Online Safety Tools (ROOST.Tools); Common Sense Media founder Jim Steyer; former French ambassador to the U.S. Philippe Étienne; Avenir founder Andrew Sugrue; Station F director Roxanne Varza; and Axios chief technology correspondent Ina Fried and about Europe’s booming AI ecosystem, open-source safety initiatives, global governance, cutting-edge investments, and the urgent need to protect children and families—all underscoring a call for inclusive, responsible innovation.

As the world’s attention turned to Paris for the AI Action Summit, host Tammy Haddad takes the Washington AI Network global with an in-depth look at the most influential players and consequential conversations happening in Paris. Ina Fried of Axios joins Haddad to offer an in-the-room perspective on the world leaders, company executives, and policymakers' discourse surrounding AI’s risks and promises. This episode also features an exclusive interview with Milena Harito from the European Network for Women in Leadership, plus hear from OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Meta’s Yann LeCun from the summit stage.

Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, outgoing British Ambassasor to the United States, joins host Tammy Haddad ahead of the 2025 Alfalfa Club Dinner for a wide-ranging conversation in which she discusses her successor, Peter Mandelson—who she says “loves America” and appreciates President Trump’s approach to China—and reaffirms the productive rapport between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Trump. She also highlights the UK’s AI leadership, Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy, addresses AUKUS and Afghanistan, and reflects on her five years in Washington.

Tammy Haddad interviews Rohit Chopra, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in the final days of the Biden presidency. He discusses his agency’s approach to AI regulation, and the need to stop potentially “intrusive surveillance” by Big Tech on the same day Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg criticizes federal scrutiny of Meta, singling out the CFPB. Chopra also warns of the danger of “deleting” agencies such as CFPB as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy look to cut a trillion dollars from the federal budget.

In this special episode recorded at the Élysée Palace in Paris, host Tammy Haddad speaks with two female forces at the forefront of AI and sustainability. Thaima Samman, president of the European Network for Women in Leadership and a partner at SAMMAN Law and Corporate Affairs, offers an inside look at Europe’s bold attempt to regulate AI while still stoking innovation—and shows why empowering women in tech is non-negotiable for true progress. Dr. Sasha Luccioni, AI and climate lead at Hugging Face and a Time100 AI honoree, discusses the environmental challenges linked to AI, along with strategies for developing and deploying AI solutions to spur climate action and encourage long-term sustainability. The conversation is a preview of February’s AI Action Summit, which will bring together business leaders, policymakers, researchers, and experts to explore the future of AI—focusing especially on how to incorporate inclusivity, ethics, and sustainability into its development.

Tammy Haddad interviews Courtney O’Donnell, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Sean Patrick Maloney, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), for a deep dive into AI’s transformative impact from Paris. O’Donnell shares UNESCO’s initiatives in using AI to advance global education, protect cultural heritage, and preserve indigenous languages, emphasizing a human-centered approach. Maloney outlines the OECD’s pivotal role in fostering multilateral AI cooperation, promoting inclusivity, and embedding ethical principles into AI frameworks. They address critical topics, including AI’s energy demands, healthcare advancements like AI-powered tuberculosis diagnostics in India, and the urgency of global collaboration to ensure equitable access to AI’s benefits.

In this episode, André Loesekrug-Pietri, chairman of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI), and General Jean-Paul Paloméros, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, join host Tammy Haddad to discuss AI’s transformative impact on science, deep tech, and Europe’s key role. Loesekrug-Pietri highlights JEDI’s upcoming AI Action Summit challenge on agricultural carbon storage, the need for sustainable AI innovation, and warns of the dangers of not engaging with China on AI. Paloméros shares his perspective on AI’s role in defense and addresses the current complex global challenges.

Anne Bouverot, France’s Special Envoy for AI, joins host Tammy Haddad to discuss the highly anticipated 2025 AI Action Summit, which aims to unite global leaders and innovators in shaping the future of AI. Recorded at STATION F in Paris, the conversation dives into pressing issues such as AI’s impact on climate change, its transformative effects on the workforce, and the need for inclusivity and equity in its development. Bouverot emphasizes the summit’s mission to balance AI’s risks and opportunities while fostering trust through scientific consensus.

Christopher Kirchhoff, co-author of “Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War,” and a founding figure of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), joins host Tammy Haddad to explore the military's race to integrate cutting-edge technology. From key breakthroughs in AI and autonomous systems to the hurdles of bureaucracy and global tech rivalry, Kirchhoff delivers an important history lesson on defense technology and an insider’s perspective on the dangers ahead. He discusses his work on AI safety, and offers analysis of Anthropic, OpenAI, and all the frontier labs.