Decoded by POLITICO

The billionaires bankrolling a record wealth tax fight; Open AI's midterms war room

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 19 min

illionaire opponents of California’s proposed wealth tax have spent more fighting it than they ever have on a political cause in the state, according to a Decoded by POLITICO analysis. Plus, Decoded by Politico can exclusively report that Open AI I is standing up an election “war room” ahead of the midterms. For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded Lea

The vibe shift comes for Bitcoin’s bad boys

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 12 min

With Trump’s own crypto interests looming over the industry and Democrats poised for a return to power, crypto’s founding rebels are confronting an uncomfortable reality: The movement that set out to upend the financial establishment is becoming part of it. For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/

Are Wall Street vibes shifting on AI?

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0000 · 11 min

The Big Bank earnings calls that kicked off Tuesday offer a preview for how CEOs are couching their optimism to account for the financial realities that will shape the industry’s future. Plus, a Democratic candidate for governor unveiled a new AI safety plan aiming at protecting young children from artificial intelligence For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico

Inside AI safety's hottest club

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:55:00 -0000 · 15 min

Decoded got an inside look of The Curve, the invite-only conference last weekend that hosted of AI influence and offered a microcosm of the state of current global safety talks. We’ll also talk about potential presidential candidate Senator Ruben Gallego’s plans to regulate AI, and the new movies that star tech giants in "villain roles” For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsle

Pricing Anthropic’s end-of-world risk

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 18 min

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned investors that his lab’s AI models could threaten humanity as he prepares for what may be the largest initial public offering of all time, but Wall Street isn't as concerned about the extensional risk of AI, yet investors are likely to focus on risks with clearer financial impacts. Plus, Nathan Calvin of Encode AI — one of the most influential AI policy organizati

Sergey Brin’s huge spending spree to defeat the billionaire tax

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0000 · 16 min

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who once called government a “giant bonfire of partisanship” and spent years on the political sidelines, has emerged as a force in the midterms — and it could signal more to come from the centibillionaire.  This year alone, Brin spent an unprecedented $100 million — about 40 times what he put into politics in the previous two decades — to try to defeat a proposed ta

Dems widen war on AI

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0000 · 13 min

A new super PAC created by two longtime Democratic operatives is launching its “opening salvo” this week, spending $4 million across four key House races to portray Republicans as beholden to the artificial intelligence lobby, Decoded can exclusively report. Plus, an exclusive  interview with Scott Kupor, one of the Vice Chairs on the White House’s Super Intelligence Task Force, on the goals of th

AI industry reacts to Sam Altman's comments, AI leaders testify in New York City

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:55:00 -0000 · 13 min

The AI accelerationists are turning on OpenAI. Their calls for faster development and lighter-touch regulation are running up against a shifting, more pro-regulation stance from the ChatGPT maker and its chief executive, ratcheting up tensions just as the public’s frustration with the technology is reaching new levels. Plus, a look at the testimony given by AI industry leaders at a New York City

The business case for governing AI

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000 · 21 min

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

Rohit Chopra’s AI nightmare; Meta faces new trial on social media addiction in LA

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 21 min

Rohit Chopra knows the makings of an economic crisis when he sees one. And Chopra — a top consumer protection watchdog under Joe Biden who was ousted by Donald Trump — thinks the current administration is ill-prepared to handle the fallout of a possible AI bubble. Plus, jury selection continues  in the Los Angeles Superior Court’s second bellwether trial on alleged social media youth addiction, wi

Signal’s Meredith Whittaker on AI hype and the end of privacy

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000 · 41 min

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

Peter Thiel criticizes Trump policy in exclusive recordings

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 12 min

Peter Thiel does not support the Trump administration’s war in Iran, he told a private, assembled audience in Nashville on October 12. In today’s episode of Decoded, hosts Calder McHugh and Brendan Bordelon discuss exclusive recordings of Peter Thiel’s lecture series on the Antichrist, and how Thiel’s views on the Trump administration have shifted. For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Dec

How AI is driving Trump’s energy agenda

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0000 · 24 min

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

What’s behind Trump’s new Tech Force

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0000 · 25 min

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

Microsoft’s president warns the White House

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0000 · 20 min

Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith delivered a broadside Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s push to block the path to permanent residency for highly-skilled immigrants, warning the White House that its plan could cripple the U.S. tech sector for over a generation in an exclusive interview with Decoded. Plus, Decoded can exclusively report that a bank backed by tech billionaire a

Rebroadcast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt on AI, Hollywood and owning your ‘digital self’

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0000 · 28 min

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 Trump is fighting states over AI

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0000 · 22 min

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

What’s in Peter Thiel’s new Antichrist lecture?

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:55:00 -0000 · 13 min

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel is sharpening his warnings about the Antichrist — which he sees as someone who could harm technological development — as AI races ahead and public concern over its risks grow, according to exclusive recordings obtained by Decoded. Plus, a top trade group for the “metaverse”  shuts its doors after eight years. For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsl

Why energy bills could be AI’s new political problem

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0000 · 16 min

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

Craig Newmark sees an AI bubble. It may not be a bust.

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0000 · 18 min

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

Potential AI lawsuits worry business leaders; leading AI super PACs go dark

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 16 min

CEOs outside the tech world are racing to integrate AI into their businesses as they prepare for the dawn of a new economy. But they’ve been slower to establish guardrails — potentially exposing them to multi-million-dollar claims. Plus, after months of pouring money into the midterms, rival AI super PAC groups significantly curtailed their visible spending during a crucial stretch before the elec

The tech industry is GOP-coded

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0000 · 15 min

American voters across the political spectrum now assume most tech CEOs are conservative, according to new results from The POLITICO Poll. The results, first revealed in Decoded, could complicate not only the prospects of Republicans trying to break from Donald Trump in the midterms or 2028 amid rising backlash to Big Tech and AI. Plus, AI researchers and other industry employees emerged as a powe

The donation Ron Conway regrets, Anthropic's AI models go rogue (again)

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:55:00 -0000 · 15 min

Democratic megadonor and venture capitalist Ron Conway regrets funding an influential Big Tech political group that has fought strict AI rules, according to former Obama Press Secretary Jay Carney, who leads communications for Conway’s new AI policy initiative. Plus, The White House reaction on Friday to newly-disclosed autonomous behavior from Anthropic’s AI models was immediate, forceful — and q

Sam Altman on rogue AI, Anthropic, and getting money out of politics

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:55:00 -0000 · 27 min

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, says that he gets “ why AI has a really negative perception right now,” and doesn’t think a rebranding artificial intelligence to “super intelligence” will help. Decoded's Brendan Bordelon hears from Altman about his recent visit to the White House, how OpenAI’s approach to safety differs from his biggest competitors, and what comes next in the ongoing saga of rogue

Big Tech’s top races to watch, PM Mark Carney on AI

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:55:00 -0000 · 21 min

AI has been a big topic in midterm campaigns and coverage, but few races are actually referendums on the technology. That means the direction of tech policy may not differ so much, depending on who wins in Tuesday’s elections, as our reporters explain. Plus, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to POLITICO about AI regulation. For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newslette

AI safety advocates ask Newsom for special session; AG races to watch in the midterms

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 20 min

National AI safety advocates are warning California Gov. Gavin Newsom not to blow what they see as his last window to shore up his state’s AI regulations before a presidential election cycle that may be defined by the technology — and one where he could be running. Plus, Voters in Texas, Nevada, California, Minnesota and Florida will decide on Tuesday who leads some of the country’s most consequen

Why Silicon Valley is watching Brazil’s election, David Shor on AI bubble

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:55:00 -0000 · 15 min

Sunday’s run-off vote in Brazil won’t just decide the fate of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Bolsonaro clan with which he has sparred for the last decade. It may also determine the future of one of Silicon Valley’s top overseas boogeymen, in Latin America’s largest market. Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal has emerged as the democratic world’s most aggressive governmental enforcer o

Is Europe struggling with an AI identity crisis?

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0000 · 16 min

As U.S. tech giants worry about the power of their advanced AI models, they are pressing governments around the world for new rules that would slow them down. But Europe, fearful of missing the next wave of innovation, doesn’t want to hear it. And at this week’s International AI Summit in Dublin, Ireland, its officials insisted no new rules are needed as they rush to catch up with America’s tech s

The rise of the AI anxiety index

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:55:00 -0000 · 12 min

Silicon Valley is stressing over the uncertainty around how artificial intelligence will be regulated. Decoded spoke to SoFi CEO Anthony Noto about how he's preparing his businesses for an AI-driven economy. Plus, Vice President JD Vance announced that Microsoft would no longer be able to sponsor green cards for employees on skilled worker visas. For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Dec

Welcome to Decoded by POLITICO

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0000 · 1 min

Decoded by POLITICO explores the people, policy battles and market forces shaping the future of technology around the world, drawing on POLITICO’s reporting to make sense of what’s happening and what comes next. Be sure to subscribe to the Decoded newsletter here. The first episode drops October 5! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices