POLITICO Tech

There’s a new data privacy bill floating around Capitol Hill this week -- backed by the chairs of two powerful committees. And at first glance, it seems to have a lot of potential. But POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly and privacy reporter Alfred Ng discuss the sticking points that could cause the legislation to stall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gary Marcus is a cognitive scientist and serial entrepreneur who is an AI critic, and not shy about it. He’s one of the tech experts pushing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and others in Washington to pass sweeping and stringent legislation to rein in AI -- technology that he doesn’t actually think is very smart. Gary has written a piece for POLITICO magazine, out tomorrow, arguing what all s...

If you haven’t heard of Roblox, your kids certainly have. It’s an online platform for games and other virtual experiences, and most of its users are under 17 years old. As Congress weighs kids’ online safety legislation, Roblox is dispatching its CEO and other executives to D.C. this week. POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly caught up with Roblox policy chief Nicky Jackson Colaco to discuss. Learn mo...

The Biden administration is in the midst of its latest attempt at a diplomatic reset with China, its chief geopolitical rival on all things tech. Council on Foreign Relations President Mike Froman — who served as U.S. trade representative during President Barack Obama’s second term — joins POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly to discuss the Biden administration’s protectionist economic policies, and w...

U.S. and European officials will meet in Belgium today and tomorrow for the latest gathering of the Trade and Technology Council, a body meant to mend the trans-atlantic relationship following four years of President Donald Trump. But the TTC is now weighing its next act — and what it means if Trump returns to power. POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly and POLITICO tech correspondent Mark Scott discu...

AI is coming to health systems — in fact, it's already here. As it rolls out, the government is taking a light approach to regulation, issuing guidance, but no binding rules. The Coalition for Health AI is working to develop standards for vetting health care AI via assurance labs. Politico reporter Ruth Reader talks with host Steven Overly and then Dr. Brian Anderson, the CEO of the Coalition for...

The U.S. and UK have inked a memorandum of understanding that will see the allies join forces on AI safety research and testing. But what will that mean in reality? On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with UK tech secretary Michelle Donelan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Electricity demand in the United States is projected to skyrocket over the next decade, partly because of the rising power needs of data centers and electric vehicles. That poses big challenges for the power grid. Today, host Catherine Morehouse sits down with Rob Gramlich, founder and president of consulting firm Grid Strategies, to discuss whether the grid can handle this surge in power demand —...

Claire Evans, the author of "Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet," joins guest host and Deputy Tech Editor Daniella Cheslow to talk about frequently overlooked female tech pioneers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Miller wrote the definitive book on microchips. Now, the author of “Chip War” joins guest host Phelim Kine to break down the U.S. strategy for becoming a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, and the implications for the country’s ever-complicated relationship with China.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state level is really where the tech action is at right now. On today’s Politico Tech, Morning Tech author Mallory Culhane sits in for Steven Overly to talk with Connecticut State Senator James Maroney, who helped get the state’s data privacy law across the finish line in 2022, and who now has shifted gears to artificial intelligence. They discuss S.B. 2, a comprehensive tech bill, and Maroney...

Tensions between large and small tech companies over the rules for artificial intelligence are already palpable. On POLITICO Tech, Linda Griffin from Mozilla tells host Steven Overly why Mozilla sees competition as key to minimizing the risks of AI -- and is looking to global regulators to level the playing field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also known as CISA, is tasked with tackling two of Washington’s biggest and most politically fraught challenges: confronting Chinese hackers and securing U.S. elections. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Maggie Miller sits down with CISA Director Jen Easterly to discuss the agency’s plans for both this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

Social media hacking and the scams that come with it affect thousands of people each year -- including host Steven Overly’s mom. It can be a major inconvenience for those cut off from friends and loved ones, and a serious financial and emotional burden for those who lose money in the process. John Breyault from the National Consumers League joins POLITICO Tech to talk social media scams. Learn mor...

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it will provide Intel with subsidies, grants and tax credits in exchange for building new manufacturing and research facilities in the U.S. Combined, Intel’s haul could be worth as much as $44.5 billion. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Brendan Bordelon explains how the company lobbied its way to a big payday, and why President Joe Biden sees the deal as a po...

The names and addresses of millions of Americans can be found online through voter registration records. And some states argue that’s a privacy concern as voters are targeted with doxxing and harassment. But their efforts to change public disclosure laws have garnered pushback from conservative election transparency advocates. POLITICO reporter Alfred Ng joins host Steven Overly to dissect the ten...

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler warns on today’s episode of POLITICO Tech that Wall Street’s headlong rush to embrace artificial intelligence could create new weaknesses in the U.S. financial system. The solution, Gensler says, requires Washington regulators to band together in a new way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should the government be telling social media companies what misinformation to remove? That’s the central question in a major tech case being heard at the Supreme Court today. On POLITICO Tech, Nina Jankowicz from the Centre for Information Resilience delves into the chilling effect the lawsuit has had on efforts to combat online disinformation ahead of the 2024 election. Learn more about your ad...

Artificial intelligence has begun to transform health care. But how do you separate the promise from the hype? And will only the rich actually benefit? Host Steven Overly asked those questions at the POLITICO Live Heath Care Summit this week, including during a live interview with Dr. Andrew Trister from Google’s life sciences company, Verily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to force a sale, and perhaps eventually a ban, of the video sharing app TikTok. But many hurdles remain before that becomes a reality. And the drama surrounding the legislation reveals just how convoluted TikTok politics have become. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly breaks down what will likely happen next with national security lawyer and former Commer...

South By Southwest took over Austin. The annual tech and entertainment festival attracts an eccentric crowd, which this year includes a strong contingent of Washington policymakers and U.S. defense officials. Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson joins POLITICO Tech from Texas to explain how AI and politics have made a splash at the gathering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

The rise in online disinformation has forced political campaigns to develop a new playbook. Journalist Sasha Issenberg tackles that subject in his new book, “The Lie Detectives.” He joins POLITICO Tech to break down lessons from the front lines of the 2020 election and how campaigns are applying them this time around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, has long been a rite of passage for students applying to college in the U.S. Now, the test has undergone a digital transformation that became official over the weekend. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks through the technological challenges posed by an electronic test and how its administrator has tried to overcome them with the College Board’s Priscil...

Generative artificial intelligence is transforming the way students learn to read and write. To understand how, POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly called up California high school teacher Daniel Herman. Herman’s students are using AI today -- and he believes the technology will fundamentally change English class as we know it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden will deliver the State of the Union address tonight. And while tech probably won’t dominate the speech, Biden could mention issues like AI, microchips and competition with China. MIT fellow R. David Edelman contributed to State of the Union speeches during his time as a tech adviser to President Barack Obama. On POLITICO Tech, Edelman tells host Steven Overly what goes into the...