Episodes

  • Obernolte: Sorry, California. DC will set the AI agenda.

    Obernolte: Sorry, California. DC will set the AI agenda.
    Sep 18 2024
    Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) is helping set the House’s artificial intelligence agenda as co-chair of a bipartisan task force in the House. That includes more than a dozen AI-related bills he thinks the lower chamber can pass this year. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sat down with Obernolte at POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit this week for a live taping of the podcast.
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    20 mins
  • Ready to vote? There could be an app for that.

    Ready to vote? There could be an app for that.
    Sep 17 2024
    Bradley Tusk started his career in government before making big bucks in tech and venture capital. He’s now pouring millions of dollars into building and testing technology that would allow people to cast votes from a smartphone. On POLITICO Tech, Tusk joins host Steven Overly to discuss his new book, “Vote With Your Phone,” and lay out his case for why mobile voting can save democracy.
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    24 mins
  • Breaking the Silicon Valley hype machine

    Breaking the Silicon Valley hype machine
    Sep 16 2024
    False promises of a high-tech future that’s good for humanity have allowed Silicon Valley to hoodwink policymakers and the public, argues cognitive scientist and tech critic Gary Marcus. And with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, Marcus says it’s more urgent than ever for governments to rein the industry in. On today’s POLITICO Tech, Marcus joins host Steven Overly to discuss ideas for how to do that from his new book, “Taming Silicon Valley.”
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    19 mins
  • The AI pioneer with a warning for Gov. Gavin Newsom

    The AI pioneer with a warning for Gov. Gavin Newsom
    Sep 13 2024
    Washington isn’t poised to pass major AI legislation. Ottawa isn’t either. So Canadian computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, one of the “godfathers” of artificial intelligence, is looking to Sacramento. He’s urging California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign an AI safety bill by month’s end — and facing off against influential tech executives who want it killed. On today’s POLITICO Tech, Bengio explains why he thinks California needs to regulate now.
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    17 mins
  • REBROADCAST: The challenges with creating cellphone-free schools

    REBROADCAST: The challenges with creating cellphone-free schools
    Sep 12 2024
    Students in Florida, Indiana and Ohio returned to the classroom this fall with new restrictions on cellphones. It's part of a crackdown on screen time and social media by school administrators and political leaders who fear the technology is harmful to students' learning and mental health. On POLITICO Tech, Stanford professor and former schoolteacher Antero Garcia joins host Steven Overly to explain why he thinks such bans are bad policy — and bound to fail.
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    19 mins
  • Elon Musk as government reformer? A watchdog’s ‘nightmarish’ take.

    Elon Musk as government reformer? A watchdog’s ‘nightmarish’ take.
    Sep 11 2024
    Former President Donald Trump plans to tap tech billionaire Elon Musk to lead a new government efficiency commission if elected in November. But it’s a post that would raise conflicts of interest with Musk’s day jobs running Tesla, SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter. On POLITICO Tech, Danielle Brian from the Project on Government Oversight joins host Steven Overly to discuss the ethical concerns at play.
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    15 mins
  • AI is now writing up arrests. But tracking it is a problem.

    AI is now writing up arrests. But tracking it is a problem.
    Sep 10 2024
    Police officers routinely write reports after traffic stops, robberies and other daily encounters. And increasingly, they’re using artificial intelligence software from police technology company Axon to do it. But POLITICO reporter Alfred Ng found department policies for labeling which reports are AI generated are inconsistent. On POLITICO Tech, Ng breaks down some of the legal and ethical questions the criminal justice system has to sort out as a result.
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    15 mins
  • Russia’s latest election interference target: U.S. influencers

    Russia’s latest election interference target: U.S. influencers
    Sep 9 2024
    Russia’s latest effort to meddle in American politics involved a scheme centered on conservative internet influencers in the U.S., the Justice Department revealed recently. It’s yet another sign that the interplay between foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns is as tight as ever. On POLITICO Tech, Bret Schafer from the Alliance for Securing Democracy joins host Steven Overly to break down how that complicates tech companies’ efforts to fight back.
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    19 mins