POLITICO Tech

Bradley Tusk is a man with many hats: political consultant, venture capitalist, author. His new book, “Obvious in Hindsight,” is a satire about politics and tech, but it's not hard to see the fact through the fiction. On POLITICO Tech, Tusk tells host Steven Overly more about the book, and weighs in on tech fights happening both on and off the page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Crabtree is the assistant secretary for fossil energy and carbon management at the Energy Department -- a position that puts him at the center of the U.S. efforts to promote carbon capture technology. On POLITICO Tech, Crabtree explains the administration’s case for capturing more carbon, despite criticisms from climate activists that it favors the fossil fuel industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The push for technologies that remove carbon from the atmosphere – carbon capture – has been driving a new wedge in the climate fight. And those tensions were on display at COP28 over the past two weeks. On POLITICO Tech, POLITICO energy reporter Zack Colman joins from Dubai to discuss how the geopolitics of climate tech are playing out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The European Union reached a political agreement to regulate artificial intelligence -- a comprehensive law that will set a new global standard. EU parliamentarian Dragos Tudorache returns to POLITICO Tech to take host Steven Overly inside the tense negotiations and explain what the EU AI Act will actually change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malo Bourgon doesn’t know exactly what existential threats AI poses, but he says we should be preparing for them anyway. Bourgon is the CEO of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute and among those who fear AI could go deeply awry if it falls into the wrong hands. On today’s show, Bourgon tells host Steven Overly what tech restrictions he wants to see in place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spot the robot dog has drawn public backlash for its use by law enforcement. But Robert Playter, the CEO of Spot’s creator, Boston Dynamics, says notions of robots taking over the world are fantasies fueled by fear. On POLITICO Tech, he tells host Steven Overly what the robot future will really look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The doomsday scenarios about AI run amok garner a lot of attention, but would policymakers be better off focusing on its  problems here and now? That’s the case Janet Haven, executive director at Data & Society, makes on today’s POLITICO Tech with host Steven Overly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Upcoming AI legislation in California is discussed, highlighting the state's influence on policy areas and the presence of major tech companies. The upcoming debate on AI regulation in California is explored, including the possibility of setting a national standard. Governor Newsom's conflicting views on the tech industry and his impact on policy decisions are analyzed. The role of Jason Elliott in the AI discussions in California is highlighted, emphasizing the growing interest in AI among the legislature. The battle between unions and the tech sector over AI regulation is discussed, along with California's potential impact as a trendsetter in tech and data privacy.

Daniel Colson, Founder of AI Policy Institute, discusses the public's concerns about AI's destructive potential, the need for regulation, and challenges around AI development including superhuman capabilities, bioterrorism risks, and power accumulation. Survey results highlight worries about the use of AI in war and the need for government intervention. They also explore the importance of including different demographics in AI conversations and the impact of AI on marginalized communities.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized the Biden administration’s  digital trade agenda, going so far as to say recent policy decisions are giving China a leg up in the global tech race. On POLITICO Tech, Reps. Darin Lahood (R-Ill.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) argue U.S. trade officials must change course in a conversation with host Steven Overly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices