

POLITICO Tech
POLITICO
The POLITICO Tech podcast is your download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy. New episodes on Thursdays.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 6, 2023 • 22min
What the public really thinks about AI
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.

Dec 5, 2023 • 20min
Why lawmakers fear Biden is giving China a tech boost
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.
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Dec 4, 2023 • 17min
Promise vs. propaganda: Can tech fix the climate crisis?
The big U.N. Climate Change Conference -- COP28 -- is underway in Dubai and the role of emerging technologies in the fight against global warming is likely to be a recurring theme. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly asks Marcene Mitchell of the World Wildlife Fund to expound on the promise and the hype behind these technologies.
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Dec 1, 2023 • 15min
Period trackers are more popular than ever. Is that a privacy concern?
Abortion access has changed dramatically since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. And the landscape for data privacy protections is changing, too. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly examines the current state of privacy concerns over period-tracking apps and other health data with POLITICO reporter Ruth Reader.
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Nov 30, 2023 • 20min
How China is beating the U.S. at AI
China is ahead in exporting AI globally. China's strategy and impact on AI development and control. Contrasting approaches to AI development and regulation. Concerns about Huawei technology and US influence. Financial implications of countering China's AI dominance.

Nov 29, 2023 • 18min
What the FEC can (and can't) do about deepfakes
The Federal Election Commission is often politically gridlocked. Now, there’s growing pressure on the agency to consider rules for political ads that contain AI-generated deepfakes. On POLITICO Tech, Democratic FEC Chair Dara Lindenbaum tells host Steven Overly why those calls for action face a bigger obstacle than partisanship.
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Nov 28, 2023 • 21min
Is the OpenAI saga a wakeup call for AI safety?
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's abrupt removal and subsequent reinstatement sparks discussions on the future of AI. The fallout reveals tensions over managing AI and raises questions about the balance between profit and safety. The significance of the OpenAI saga and the need for effective governance are explored. The podcast also delves into CSET's relationship with the effective altruism movement and the tension between addressing immediate risks and long-term AI threats.

Nov 27, 2023 • 26min
Why fighting deepfakes in the 2024 election is…complicated
Matt Perault and Scott Babwah Breenen from University of North Carolina's Center on Technology Policy discuss the potential problems with and policy fixes for deepfakes in the 2024 election. They propose recommendations like passing voter suppression laws, promoting digital literacy, flooding the zone with factual content, and providing guidance for political advertisers on bias mitigation. They emphasize the importance of policy experimentation, addressing issues like voter suppression, bias in advertising, and poor digital literacy rather than regulating technology itself.

Nov 22, 2023 • 20min
Rebroadcast: Rep. Ted Lieu on what he wants to see from Congress AI regulation
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Ca) is one of the few members of Congress with a background in computer science. But in this rebroadcast from September, he tells Steven Overly why he believes lawmakers don’t need tech expertise to regulate AI.
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Nov 21, 2023 • 19min
Rebroadcast: This tech exec has a plan to rein in AI
Former President Barack Obama recently published a short list of articles, podcasts and books that have shaped his views on AI. And among them is a book that was published in September called, “The Coming Wave,” written by Mustafa Suleyman, the co-founder of Google DeepMind and current CEO of Inflection AI. In this rebroadcast from September, Steven Overly talks with Mustafa Suleyman, the chief executive of Inflection AI and a co-founder of Google DeepMind, who argues there are 10 steps that governments and companies should take to mitigate the most destructive threats posed by artificial intelligence.
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