POLITICO Tech

The federal government is buying artificial intelligence technology at deeply discounted rates — part of an effort to bring agencies into modern times. And for companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, it’s a chance to get the government hooked on their products. On POLITICO Tech, Box CEO Aaron Levie joins host Steven Overly to discuss his own bargain for the Trump administration, why these deals are h...

With mounting concerns about AI leading to job losses, policymakers are grappling with how to prepare workers for major changes ahead — and the disruption that has already begun. Bharat Ramamurti was the deputy director of the National Economic Council under President Joe Biden and, in a recent opinion piece, he called AI-driven unemployment “the biggest economic issue no one is talking about.” On...

As a senior policy adviser in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dean Ball helped write President Donald Trump’s recently released AI Action Plan. This week, Ball left the administration and plans to continue shaping AI policy from outside the White House. On POLITICO Tech, Ball joins host Steven Overly to discuss the government’s role in regulating artificial intelligence, Trump allowin...

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) was a tech adviser to President Barack Obama back when Washington was first grappling with artificial intelligence. Now, he’s introducing legislation this week with Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.) that aims to prepare the federal government for quantum computing, and how hackers could tap its speed and power to steal sensitive data. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly tal...

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin may garner lots of attention, but there are a growing number of tech companies now chasing commercial and defense opportunities in space. And they’re ratcheting up the competition for longtime contractors who sell to the federal government. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Rob Geckle, the CEO of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, to discu...

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unveiled his AI Action Plan, which effectively outlines his strategy for keeping the U.S. at the forefront of artificial intelligence. And for the most part, it’s a gift to Silicon Valley — slashing AI regulation at the federal level and trying to halt it in the states. But, one part of the plan will drag tech further into Trump’s war on wokeness. On POLITICO T...

Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly warned that artificial intelligence poses a danger to humanity. And as the U.S. and other governments turn away from regulating AI, the Catholic Church is emerging as a vocal skeptic on the world stage. One of the influential voices shaping those calls is Father Paolo Benanti, a professor and author who acts as the Vatican’s de facto adviser on AI. On POLITICO Tech, Ben...

There’s a power struggle between humanity and technology. And Vilas Dhar, president and trustee of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, argues humanity coming out on top depends not just on regulation, but on people regaining agency vis-à-vis technology and a voice in how it is created. On POLITICO Tech, Dhar joins host Steven Overly to discuss how humans can reclaim their power, and why he thinks...

Patrick McGee has written the definitive book on how Apple supercharged China’s development into a global manufacturing colossus and leveraged its relationship with Beijing to become one of the most iconic consumer tech brands in history. Now, the author of “Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company” joins POLITICO Tech guest host Phelim Kine to break down how Apple’s reliance on...

The Federal Communications Commission will meet today with a new Republican majority after the confirmation of former Capitol Hill staffer Olivia Trusty. That’s likely to boost Chair Brendan Carr’s Trump-approved agenda as he ramps up scrutiny of TV broadcasters and social media platforms over perceived conservative bias. On POLITICO Tech, reporter John Hendel joins host Steven Overly to explain t...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been called a “Luddite” and “anti-tech,” but the actor, filmmaker and entrepreneur insists he’s actually dazzled by artificial intelligence. He just has qualms with the tech companies building it, and how they’re compensating people for their work and data. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly met up with Gordon-Levitt on the sidelines of an Aspen Digital event in Washingt...

Mississippi is trying to position itself as the “Digital Delta” — a hub in the American South for artificial intelligence development and data centers. It’s one of many states that largely missed out on the internet boom and are now looking for AI to boost their local economy.  On POLITICO Tech, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves joins host Steven Overly to discuss how his state is trying to seize the ...

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) is big on investing in research in cutting-edge technologies, especially artificial intelligence and biotechnology. But lately, that’s put him in a position of pushing back against the leader of his own party, President Donald Trump, who has imposed steep and swift cuts to federal research funding at agencies and universities. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down...

Vice President JD Vance told a crypto conference this week that the industry “finally has a champion and an ally in the White House.” And, he’s right. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has largely reversed the industry’s fortunes in Washington. But the industry’s fortunes are now Trump’s fortunes, as the president and his family plunge deeper into the digital currency business. That’s st...

House Republicans narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” reconciliation bill, including a provision that would block states from enforcing new AI regulations for a decade. The proposal, which now heads to the Senate, has backing from industry but faces fierce opposition from state attorneys general and AI safety hawks. Even some opponents of tech regulation worry the moratorium...

A large contingent of Silicon Valley CEOs followed President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia this week, where a number of them announced billions of dollars in AI-related investments and business partnerships. Mohammed Soliman, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, says this is the new Middle East — where the relationship with the U.S. is driven by tech and innovation, not just oil and securi...

The saga over control of OpenAI took yet another turn this week when the ChatGPT maker announced it will no longer try to splinter off from the nonprofit that controls it. But critics of that plan, including former OpenAI employee Page Hedley, aren’t exactly taking a victory lap. On POLITICO Tech, Hedley joins host Steven Overly to explain why the latest news still leaves some doubt about OpenAI’s...

President Donald Trump was sworn into office just over 100 days ago. And ever since Inauguration Day, tech industry leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have been a regular presence at the White House. But the start of Trump’s term — from tariffs to antitrust trials to DOGE cuts — has been rocky for Silicon Valley. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Brendan Bordelon joins host Steven Overly for a de...

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent hours in a Washington courtroom this week answering questions about his decision to buy Instagram and WhatsApp more than a decade ago — and whether the social media empire he now oversees is a monopoly. Losing the high-stakes lawsuit, which was brought by the Federal Trade Commission, could ultimately lead to Meta being broken up. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly...

Washington is looking to regulate how kids use the internet with legislation that could alter how online platforms collect data, monitor content and design features. Roblox has a lot at stake in that debate — with some 90 million daily users, many of them young kids, who flock to the platform to play games and socialize. On POLITICO Tech, Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki joins host Steven Overly to discus...

After days of stock market mayhem, President Donald Trump pulled back most of the tariffs he slapped on U.S. trade partners. But not China. Trump upped his tariffs on China to 125 percent — the latest shot in a rapidly escalating trade war. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks to Nazak Nikakhtar, a former Commerce Department official during Trump’s first term and law partner at Wiley, about...

What’s Washington without Elon Musk? That’s a question many Republicans are hoping to answer in the weeks ahead after President Donald Trump told allies that Musk’s time in the White House is soon coming to an end. But getting the world’s richest man and designated  small-government crusader to move on will be complicated, even if Musk does have a slumping business empire to run. On POLITICO Tech,...

“Liberation Day” arrived at the White House and President Donald Trump, as promised, slapped sweeping tariffs on the world. But what comes next may be less predictable — especially for tech. From the TikTok sale to digital services taxes, tech issues are now a bargaining chip as countries negotiate with the Trump administration to ease tariffs. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly chats with Micha...

Greenland’s “Great Race” isn’t just a dog sled competition. It’s increasingly a hunt for critical minerals and AI data centers — two national security priorities for President Donald Trump and a business opportunity being pursued by some in his orbit. On POLITICO Tech, E&E News reporter Hannah Northey joins host Steven Overly in the wake of Vice President JD Vance’s controversial visit to explain...

Were the messages “war plans” or “attack plans”? Was the information classified, sensitive or something in between? If you put aside the spin around Signalgate, security experts warn secret military operations shouldn’t be shared on commercial messaging apps like Signal in the first place. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly discusses the tech implications of this week’s White House fiasco with G...