The Decoded Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Why energy bills could be AI’s new political problem Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

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.

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The business case for governing AI Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

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 the new book she’s co-authored, entitled “Governing the Machine,” and what steps are needed to build public trust in the AI future.

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.

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Signal’s Meredith Whittaker on AI hype and the end of privacy Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

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 critic. On this week’s episode of POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Whittaker to discuss the future of Big Tech, privacy risks in an AI world and how Silicon Valley is shaping politics.

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.

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Why the latest U.S.-China tech fight may be the biggest yet Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

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 former China director on the National Security Council, to discuss the shaky state of the U.S.-China relationship and why the coming weeks will prove pivotal.

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.

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Meet Silicon Valley’s AI-obsessed mayor Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

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 he’s trying to build, as well as California’s new AI safety law, the risk of overregulating technology and his recent criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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.

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Coming to city near you: AI-powered government Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

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 program to talk about how cities are adopting AI and the real-world hurdles they face along the way.

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.

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Our theme music is by Pran Bandi.

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AI, China, and the fight over free speech: Takeaways from POLITICO’s Tech Summit Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

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 the event, including comments from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas), White House senior AI adviser Sriram Krishnan and others.

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.

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What Anthropic’s big payout means for AI and copyright Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to authors whose pirated books the company used to train its AI model, an eye-popping amount and one of the first big settlements of its kind. With so many copyright cases hanging out in the courts, could this be the first of many big payouts to come? On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly put that question and others to Keith Kupferschmid, the CEO of the Copyright Alliance.

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.

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Why AI companies are cutting Trump a deal Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

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 happening now and what an AI-powered government could look like.

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.

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The next president’s AI problem Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

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 POLITICO Tech, Ramamurti joins host Steven Overly to delve into the AI-driven economic fears that could dominate the next election cycle.

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.

Kara Tabor is an audio producer for POLITICO.

Music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Intro: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/fAomeYxofK/

Outro: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/ctxDXxrE1W/

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