POLITICO Tech

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 developments surrounding the closely watched and intensely debated AI moratorium with the help of POLITICO technology reporters Gabby Miller and Brendan Bordelon.  Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of politics and technology. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech. This episode has been updated to correct a mischaracterization of Andreessen Horowitz's policy position. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 why he’s hopeful the fast-moving technology will make us more secure online (even if it has some problems still to be worked out). Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of politics and technology. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Gil on stage at the Aspen Cyber Summit in Washington about the administration’s energy priorities, competition with China, and the future of federal research.  Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of politics and technology. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Washington, D.C. to discuss AI’s consequences for creatives, and what he wants from the tech industry and from policymakers. This episode originally published on June 19, 2025. ⁠Steven Overly⁠ is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of politics and technology. ⁠Nirmal Mulaikal⁠ is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Overly sits down with Ian Stevenson from POLITICO's E&E News to delve into the election in Virginia and why this issue could emerge in next year’s midterms, too. Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of politics and technology. Ian Stevenson is an energy and public lands reporter at POLITICO’s E&E News. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices