The Decoded Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Republican case against Trump’s research cuts Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

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 with Young for a live interview at the AI+ Expo in Washington to talk about that tension and more.

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

Trump’s crypto conflicts, explained May 29, 2025

Show notes

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 starting to concern some Republicans and crypto lobbyists pushing the industry’s agenda. On POLITICO Tech, POLITICO capital markets reporter Declan Harty joins host Steven Overly to explain why.

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of politics and technology.

Declan Harty covers U.S. capital markets and regulation of Wall Street for POLITICO.

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

The ‘big, beautiful bill' to ban state AI laws May 22, 2025

Show notes

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 is too broad and too long. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly unpacks the proposal with Sam Hammond, the chief economist at the Foundation for American Innovation.

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade 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

‘Compute, not crude’: How American AI is defining the new Middle East May 15, 2025

Show notes

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 security. On POLITICO Tech, Soliman tells host Steven Overly how this new arrangement benefits tech companies and Gulf nations — and why it’s necessary if the U.S. hopes to stay ahead of China.

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade 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

OpenAI reversed its restructuring plans. Critics aren’t cheering. May 08, 2025

Show notes

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 commitment to its founding mission of building artificial intelligence that’s good for humanity.

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade and technology.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech.

Alex Keeney is a senior audio producer at POLITICO.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump's rocky start with Silicon Valley May 01, 2025

Show notes

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 debrief on Trump’s first 100 days in office, and a look at what’s to come in the next 100.

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade and technology.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy.

Alex Keeney is a senior audio producer at POLITICO.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Zuckerberg’s big week in court Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

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 unpacks Meta’s week in court with former Republican FTC Chair Bill Kovacic.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roblox’s CEO on tariffs, TikTok and keeping kids safe online Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

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 discuss how the company aims to stay ahead of regulation. Plus, his take on the recent tariff turmoil and his bid to buy TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Gloves off’: A former Trump trade official on his China fight Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

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 the ways in which the tech industry is vulnerable to Beijing’s retaliation, and why she thinks the economic pain from these sky-high tariffs is necessary.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Elon Musk’s pending exit means for Washington Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

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, host Steven Overly is joined by POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade and POLITICO contributor Issie Lapowsky to break down the political and business pressure Musk is under, and why he’ll stick around as a political power player long after leaving D.C.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices