Explain to Shane

In this live episode of Explain to Shane, Shane wraps up her discussion with AEI Senior Fellow Brent Orrell on generative artificial intelligence tools and automation’s relationship to in-demand skills in the labor market. The two scholars get at the heart of how we should view automation and the imperative that it places on our institutions—and ourselves. The crowd—the 2023 AEI Summer Honors Program student cohort—also has a chance to ask questions since they will soon be embarking on their own career journey.Missed the first part of the conversation? Listen to Part I here!

In this live episode of Explain to Shane, Shane joins AEI Senior Fellow Brent Orrell on the stage to discuss how the latest advancements in automation through large language models (LLMs) are accelerating discussions around what skills are the most valuable in the labor market. The crowd has a vested interest in their insights—the 2023 AEI Summer Honors Program student cohort—but their conversation is enlightening for the broader tech policy crowd too. In Part I of this two-part episode, Shane and Brent unpack recent advancements in LLMs and what these products are good at, and what students should be thinking about in this new automation context.

In this episode of Explain to Shane, Shane walks through Sandboxx, the digital platform designed by veterans and service members to help connect the military community with secure tools. Sandboxx’s co-founder and CEO, Sam Meek explains how this groundbreaking platform, inspired by Sam's experiences in the US Marine Corps, is enabling a support system for the military community that uses today’s technology. The app has emerged as a critical resource for most of the active military and has sent over 8.5 million letters to recruits and deployed service members worldwide. Shane and Sam unpack the intricacies of Sandboxx, a digital communication and training platform with an impressive 4 million users, co-created by Sam and Major General Ray L. Smith. Throughout this conversation, Sam's insightful perspective as a military veteran turned tech innovator displays the immense impact Sandboxx has on the military community and the importance of tailored online resources for our heroes in uniform. Sam helps us to understand the importance of how this app plays a transformative role in the military landscape. It's a tale of technology, dedication, and the unyielding spirit of support for our service members.

The recent neo-Brandeisian tack in antitrust policy has kicked up a lot of dust, obscuring much of the evidence that pokes holes in a more aggressive Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under Lina Khan. Is big really bad, though, when it comes to technology antitrust policy? Join us in this episode of Explain to Shane as we explore this pressing question and more with our guest, Daniel Francis.Daniel is a faculty member at NYU School of Law and a leading legal expert in antitrust policy given his experience as Deputy Director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition. In this thought-provoking conversation, he dives deep into the misconceptions surrounding the current policy landscape, specifically focusing on the AICOA and OAMA bills, and evaluates the recent development of the FTC sending advisors to the European Union.Daniel points out a natural experiment unfolding in Europe, while Shane reminds us of the danger of drawing arbitrary lines in tech legislation. Get ready to expand your understanding of technology antitrust and the challenges that lie ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape.

It is clear that African nations are gearing up for a major leap forward in economic growth thanks to recent technological innovations in artificial intelligence and enhanced availability of technology tools to individuals. The African Development Bank anticipates an average of 4 percent real GDP growth in 2023 and 2024. How are legal frameworks keeping pace with that growth, especially regarding disruptive technology?In this episode of Explain to Shane, Shane interviews Susan "Guya" Obunga Otieno, a legal advisor for PICHA, a digital media company that specializes in African photography and digital imagery. They discuss the state of privacy law in Africa, the growing African stock photography market, generative artificial intelligence and African languages, and how PICHA is working to empower African photographers and the intellectual property elements of the business.Guya shares her insights on the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Africa, the power of photography to tell stories and connect people, and the importance of protecting the privacy of African citizens. Shane emphasizes the need for revised privacy laws here in the United States to enable data protection on an international scale. This is a fascinating and timely episode that will give you a new perspective on African industry and the people who are growing it.

This year has witnessed some extremely impressive breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence models, with OpenAI releasing GPT-4, Google with its Bard LLM, and many more competitors. But what might be less well-known is that there’s a whole class of music-making AI software rising, and it’s creating everything from symphonies to viral rap collaborations between Drake and the Weeknd. Some impressive, and some outright bad, the music industry is preparing to have another “Napster moment.” What will this mean for ownership and intellectual property? How will recording artists maintain control over their distinct styles and brands? What are market solutions to this, and where should policy step in?To cut through the noise, we have David Hughes on the podcast. Hughes wields extensive experience in the music industry, having worked for Sony and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for many years, now running his own consulting firm.In this episode, Shane investigates what AI will mean for the music we love. Don’t miss a beat—tune in now!

Throughout the Biden administration and this Congress, spectrum has been a priority for nearly everyone else in the world—except for us. We’re currently 378 megahertz behind other countries on mid-band spectrum, a vital resource for 5G communications quality. Spectrum isn’t anything we can see or touch, yet it’s all around us. However it is perhaps the most important infrastructure for our modern age as more and more tech communicates wirelessly. It is also a finite resource, which makes changes to its allocation exceedingly touchy. How can we navigate this pressing allocation issue within a context of selfishness and scarcity?To walk us through what is holding us back on spectrum, we have Roger Entner back on the podcast. Entner is the founder of Recon Analytics, but his vast telecommunications experience includes being the senior vice president and head of research at Nielsen Media Research.In this episode, Shane reiterates spectrum’s necessity while Roger identifies the smoking gun. Tune in as they band together on the precious resource of spectrum!

Two of the long-tail fears surrounding the future of the internet are the danger of creating either an internet controlled by the hands of the few and powerful at a global scale or what’s known as the “splinternet”—the cabining off of nation-states’ networks from the mainstream due to censorship, technological change, or commercial fragmentation. Susan Ness sees something that lies between those poles. As a former FCC commissioner, Ness has extensive insight into the national and international machinations of the superstructure of our internet, and she has been crafting a new framework for understanding where the internet could go. Modularity is a co-regulatory approach to internet platform governance that helps to align democracies despite different legal systems, different regulatory horizons, and different societal norms. But how can we ensure that more illiberal governments don’t take advantage of this much more federated approach?In this episode, Shane explores Ness’ concept of modularity from all sides. Tune in as they connect the nodes on internet governance innovation!

Unauthorized network access was the most common cause of third-party cyber attacks in 2022. This includes ransomware and phishing attacks that created internal network compromises that were responsible for 40 percent of third-party cybersecurity breaches. Are we really heading toward a more secure internet? Protection from cybersecurity scams needs more security by design and an ability to give more tools to consumers for better privacy and security control.To get at the heart of some of these concerns, we interviewed AEI’s very own Paul Kupiec and Thomas Vartanian. Kupiec is a colleague at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on systemic risk and the management and regulation of banks and financial markets. Before joining AEI, Paul worked at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund, Freddie Mac, JP Morgan, and for the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve System. Vartanian is the author of The Unbreakable Internet and has served as General Counsel of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board during the saving and loans crisis and as Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He is also the author of 200 Years of American Financial Panic, which is rising on the best-seller list. Tom currently leads the Financial Technology and Cybersecurity Center. In this episode, Shane walks us through just one of the many approaches to creating a more secure internet for all. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Situated squarely in the digital age, yet still years behind the curve, our government spends upwards of $100 billion on its IT and cyber needs annually according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). With all that money being spent, how do we know we’re getting not only the best deal on software but also the most secure systems?The National Cybersecurity Strategy calls for holding software companies liable for the security flaws in their products. This is an opportunity for the federal government to bring forward a new standard of good cybersecurity protocols. The White House plan invites the modernizing of government IT infrastructure to review the inherent vulnerabilities of legacy software and the licensing of software to federal government agencies. But how will this be accomplished? What does sound procurement look like?To help us sort through this topic, we are joined by Ryan Triplette, executive director of the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing.In this episode, Shane walks us through what’s involved in efficient, safe software procurement. Tune in as they sift through the paperwork!