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POLITICO Tech

POLITICO Tech

POLITICO 1037 Episodes Dec 18, 2025

POLITICO Tech is a podcast that explores the intersection of technology, politics, and policy. Each episode examines how technological disruption is shaping government regulations, elections, and public discourse. The show features interviews with policymakers, industry leaders, and experts who provide insights into the latest tech trends and their political implications. New episodes are released every Thursday.

Episodes

What’s behind Trump’s new Tech Force
What’s behind Trump’s new Tech Force Dec 18, 2025 1514 The Trump administration launched the U.S. Tech Force this week, aiming to recruit 1,000 fellows with backgrounds in AI, cybersecurity and other high-tech fields into federal agencies. It’s the latest attempt to solve the government’s long-standing recruitment problem. But will this time be different? On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Office of Personnel Management Director Scott
Why Trump is fighting states over AI
Why Trump is fighting states over AI Dec 11, 2025 1375 President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social this week that he will sign an executive order aimed at banning state AI laws. The move will almost certainly appease Silicon Valley executives and anger some of his fellow Republicans — not to mention ignite a legal battle with state governments concerned about federal overreach. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly breaks down the latest developmen
Craig Newmark sees an AI bubble. It may not be a bust.
Craig Newmark sees an AI bubble. It may not be a bust. Dec 4, 2025 1081 Craig Newmark is best known for shaping our digital past. As the founder of Craigslist, he was  a pioneer in online classified advertising and lived the Silicon Valley dot-com bubble firsthand. These days, Newmark is donating his vast wealth to fight disinformation and cyber scams. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sat down with Newmark to discuss whether he sees an AI bubble forming today, and
How AI is driving Trump’s energy agenda
How AI is driving Trump’s energy agenda Nov 20, 2025 1470 Meeting the rising energy demands of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other emerging technologies is one of the big challenges facing the Trump administration. And Dario Gil, the undersecretary for science at the Energy Department, is one of the key officials searching for solutions — including yet-unrealized power sources like fusion. For POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly spoke with
Rebroadcast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt on AI, Hollywood and owning your ‘digital self’
Rebroadcast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt on AI, Hollywood and owning your ‘digital self’ Nov 13, 2025 1706 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
Why energy bills could be AI’s new political problem
Why energy bills could be AI’s new political problem Nov 6, 2025 982 Democrats logged big election wins this week in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City. And in some races, artificial intelligence — and specifically the energy data centers will consume — was a key issue for voters. As the tech industry spends billions of dollars to build out AI infrastructure, Tuesday’s outcome suggests there could be new political roadblocks ahead. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven
The business case for governing AI
The business case for governing AI Oct 30, 2025 1302 Tech companies are spending billions of dollars to build out their AI ambitions — with little clarity about how they’ll recoup their investments. Miriam Vogel, the CEO of the nonprofit EqualAI and former chair of the National AI Advisory Council, says the industry’s profitability depends in part on setting ground rules for the technology. On POLITICO Tech, Vogel joins host Steven Overly to discuss
Signal’s Meredith Whittaker on AI hype and the end of privacy
Signal’s Meredith Whittaker on AI hype and the end of privacy Oct 23, 2025 2467 Even if you don’t use Signal, you certainly remember Signalgate. That was the scandal in March when senior U.S. officials used a private messaging app to communicate about a military strike in Yemen — and included a journalist in the chat. It thrust Signal and Signal Foundation President Meredith Whittaker into the spotlight. But she’s made headlines before as a Google employee turned vocal tech c
Why the latest U.S.-China tech fight may be the biggest yet
Why the latest U.S.-China tech fight may be the biggest yet Oct 16, 2025 1329 Tensions between the U.S. and China are inflamed yet again — with the tech sector in the crossfire. In the latest move, Beijing has threatened to restrict the trade of rare earth magnets and metals, which are critical for making high-tech products, from microchips to smartphones to electric vehicles. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Liza Tobin, a geopolitical risk adviser and fo
Meet Silicon Valley’s AI-obsessed mayor
Meet Silicon Valley’s AI-obsessed mayor Oct 9, 2025 1491 A growing number of city governments are adopting artificial intelligence — and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan wants to outpace all the rest. The former tech entrepreneur is pushing employees across Silicon Valley’s largest city to adopt the technology as a way of streamlining everything from bus routes to business permits. On POLITICO Tech, Mahan joins host Steven Overly to discuss the AI-enabled city
Coming to city near you: AI-powered government
Coming to city near you: AI-powered government Oct 2, 2025 1241 The concept of "smart cities" — local governments that are digitized and automated — has been around for decades, but that bold vision hasn't quite materialized yet. Still, many cities are making a run at the idea, and they’re increasingly turning to artificial intelligence. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with James Anderson of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation progra
AI, China, and the fight over free speech: Takeaways from POLITICO’s Tech Summit
AI, China, and the fight over free speech: Takeaways from POLITICO’s Tech Summit Sep 18, 2025 1615 POLITICO’s AI & Tech Summit this week tackled major policy debates: the partisan fight over online speech after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, along with Washington’s efforts to fend off China — and California — in the U.S. quest for AI dominance. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with technology reporters Brendan Bordelon and Anthony Adragna to analyze the most notable moments from th

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