TechTank

After The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief revealed he was inadvertently added to a group chat with high-ranking national security officials on the commercial app Signal, there have been widespread discussions and concerns about how government officials communicate sensitive information. Co-host, Nicol Turner Lee, speaks to Brookings’ experts Stephanie Pell and Scott Anderson on this story’s implications for cybersecurity and privacy under the Trump administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a new Chair, Brendan Carr, and his priorities are quickly taking shape. The FCC is responsible for universal access to communications. Hear from former FCC Chair, Tom Wheeler, on the power of the chairmanship to shape the future priorities for American consumers and businesses, and what's in store for the independent agency under the Trump administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

African Americans have had long standing impacts in the field of innovation as inventors to entrepreneurs. In this episode, we will talk to serial entrepreneurs Erin Horne McKinney and John Pasmore to share how Black Tech founders are advancing their ideas, while navigating barriers that limit access to capital and relevant networks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To ban or not to ban the social media app, Tik Tok? This has been the question since President Trump’s first term in office, largely due to a host of national security concerns. The recent extension to the ban for identifying a U.S.-based buyer may have saved the app for online users but was it an overreach of Trump’s power. In this episode, guests discuss the implications for the future of Tik Tok in the U.S. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By 2050, Africa will be home to 25% of the world’s population with more than $16 trillion in combined business and consumer spending. The dividends of innovation must be part of the continent’s growth, as well as the global digital economy. On this episode of the TechTank podcast, co-host and Brookings fellow, Chinasa Okolo, speaks with author and Brookings Senior Fellow, Landry Signé about his new book, Realizing Africa’s Potential: A Journey to Potential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress has not passed many bills on the emerging digital economy. But that does not mean nothing is happening policy-wise. At the state level, there were 238 new pieces of regulatory legislation, according to a new report from New York University. That is a 163 percent increase over 2023. New laws cover AI, non-consensual sexual imagery, political deepfakes, and copyright protection, among other topics. Joining us today is one of the authors of that report. Scott Brennen is the director of the NYU Center on Technology Policy. Darrell M. West and he will discuss why state lawmaking has accelerated and areas such as AI, non-consensual sexual imagery, political deepfakes, and copyright protection where bills have passed. They also will consider the state outlook for 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The digital world has become a dangerous place. We have seen foreign entities burrow intotelecom networks and extract highly confidential information. There have been hacks of vitalinfrastructure, ransomware attacks, and thefts of sensitive data bases. The Biden Administration sought to deal with emerging threats by defending criticalinfrastructure, disrupting threat actors, use market forces to improve security, and forginginternational partnerships.What remains to be seen, though, is how many of these initiatives will be maintained by the newTrump Administration. How the new president handles cybersecurity is an important topicbecause a CyberNews study recently found 65 percent of American companies scored a D orworse on cybersecurity and only 7 percent earned an A. It is clear that we all need to do a betterjob on protecting our digital assets.To help us understand these issues, Brookings colleagues Stephanie Pell and Darrell M. Westways to safeguard critical infrastructure, disrupt threat actors, and use market forces to improvesecurity and the manner in which Trump may move on cybersecurity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump's election could set the stage for a sweeping policy overhaul, fueled by ambitious plans to make the United States the crypto capital of the world. From a potential national Bitcoin reserve to pro-crypto regulatory leadership, the sector is gearing up for a transformative period. With a Republican-controlled Congress and big industry campaign contributions in the 2024 election, the stakes are set for dramatic changes in crypto-policy and the overall crypto-landscape.This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-hosts Darrell West is joined by Aaron Klein, a Senior Fellow at the Center on Regulation and Markets at the Brookings Institution to discuss if the U.S will become the crypto capital of the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 In this episode of the TechTank Podcast, Cohost Darrell West and Nicol Turner Lee sit down to discuss what to expect in the coming years in regard to AI, antitrust enforcement, the digital divide, China, cryptocurrency, and disinformation and what people should watch from Capitol Hill and the administration.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the TechTank podcast guest host Xavier Freeman-Edwards is joined by Barry Rabe, Nonresident Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and professor at the University of Michigan to discuss if the 2024 election will bring more attention to climate change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the TechTank Podcast co-host, Nicol Turner Lee, shares her new paper on this topic with Mary K. Engle Executive Vice President, Policy at BBB National Programs, and David Vladeck, the A.B. Chettle Chair in Civil Procedure and former Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. They discuss the path forward for social media regulation and unpack the issues that are of main focus to teens and adults on the internet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the TechTank Podcast, Darrell West talks with Zia Qureshi a Brookings Institution Senior Fellow in Global Economy and Development about how cutting-edge tech like AI, quantum computing, and cloud storage are shaping inequality. They dive into whether these innovations will widen the gap between those with access to tech and those without, and what we can do to make sure technology benefits everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The TechTank Podcast, Nicol Turner Lee and Darrell West explore how the Vice President candidate's tech policy stances might influence the campaigns and the election, and whether they will ultimately shape the future of technology in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the TechTank podcast, co-host Nicol Turner Lee is joined by her colleagues, co-host Darrell West, and Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Founding Director of the Center for Effective Public Management. Together, they will discuss the impact of disinformation on society and explore solutions presented in the new book authored by Darrell and Elaine titled Lies That Kill: A Citizen's Guide to Disinformation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the TechTank podcast, co-host, Darrell West speaks to Nicol Turner Lee, co-host and author of Digitally Invisible, to discuss what can be done by policymakers, industry, and civil society to talk about her new book, and share her thoughts on what it will take to narrow the widening disparities that exist around connectivity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-host Darrell West is joined by Roxana Mika Muenster, COMPASS fellow at Brookings’ Center for Technology and a doctoral student at Cornell University. Together, they explore what Project 2025 envisions for tech and media policy, and try to understand the impact their agenda would have on industry politics, and the voters themselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-host Dr. Nicol Turner Lee is joined by Steven Overly, the host of POLITICO Tech at POLITICO, and Darrell West, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and TechTank co-host. Together, they discuss where tech and tech policies are in the upcoming election and understand what hotbed issues resonate with candidates and voters alike. [Note: This episode was recorded before the announcement of Biden's exit from the race on July 21, 2024.] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-host Nicol Turner Lee welcomes two distinguished guests: Arjun Subramonian, a Computer Science PhD candidate at the University of California, and Raj Korpan, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Hunter College, City University of New York. Together, they discuss their groundbreaking paper, "Queer in AI: A Case Study in Community-Led Participatory AI." This insightful episode dives into the significant risks AI poses to queer communities and explores innovative, community-driven solutions. Don’t miss this compelling conversation on the intersection of technology and social justice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us on the latest episode of the TechTank Podcast, where co-hosts Darrell West and Nicol Turner Lee dive into the opportunities and challenges of the AI roadmap developed by Senator Schumer (D-NY) and the bipartisan commission. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the complexities and implications of this new initiative. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-host Nicol Turner Lee talks about the state of artificial intelligence in the law with Mark Brennan, a tech and telecoms lawyer, and John Villasenor, a nonresident senior fellow at the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings. The conversation offers valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of legal practice and the opportunities and liabilities for legal professionals.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.