Tech'ed Up

The CEO and Founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Imran Ahmed, joins Niki in the studio to talk about what his recent win against Elon Musk means for the proliferation of hate speech online. He and Niki debate who has moral responsibility for online hate but both agree the current climate is untenable.“CCDH advocates a market regulatory solution to a market regulatory failure.” -Imran AhmedFollow Imran on Twitter Learn more about the CCDH Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Corporate Counsel at Google, Kat Mauler, joins Niki for a D.C. insider take on the latest tech headlines. They talk AI’s insatiable appetite for data and the landmark bipartisan data privacy bill making waves this week. Added bonus, zombie attacks in the Terms & Conditions and the sad trombone sounds of Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” tech. “You always want tech to move ahead of regulators. If tech moved at the speed of government, we would be much less competitive.” - Kat MaulerFollow Kat on LinkedIn Read The Verge article on AI and copyright laws Learn more about the American Data Privacy bill in the WaPo  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

SVP of Marketing and Public Affairs at Uber, Jill Hazelbaker, shares lessons learned from her career at the comms helm of John McCain’s presidential campaign, to jumping in head-first at Google, to what keeps her engaged and energized at Uber.  “...most companies get a honeymoon period, and you would be very wise to use it to think about those arguments and think about your allies…” -Jill HazelbakerFollow Jill on LinkedInCheck out the Uber NewsroomLearn more about The Lab School Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Founder and CEO of the Chamber of Progress, Adam Kovacevich, joins Niki for a rapid-fire take on the latest tech headlines. They dive into the latest Big Tech anti-trust litigation and have a candid talk about childhood in the smartphone era. “Apple hasn't done anything in the U.S. differently than in Europe. So it's peculiarly American that we've ended up in this situation.” - Adam KovacevichLearn more about Chamber of ProgressRead the NY Times take on the Apple monopoly case Listen to The Atlantic podcast on Smartphones and Teen Mental HealthFollow Adam on LinkedIn  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Head of Strategy at The Future US, Evan Burfield, joins Niki with an update on how hacking the regulatory environment for start-ups has changed over the last few years. They take a deep dive into minerals and bioeconomy tech, talk human brain interfaces, and how building coalitions is essential to being strategic in approaching Washington. “The Department of Defense can be an incredibly useful partner to a wide range of startups.” -Evan BurfieldFollow Evan on LinkedInLearn more about The Future USListen to Regulatory Hacking Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Founder and CEO of the Chamber of Progress, Adam Kovacevich, joins Niki for a rapid-fire take on the latest tech headlines. They talk about TikTok’s headache in Washington, Europe’s misguided Digital Markets Act, and the state of play in Congress. “Even if this bill founders this year, the issue doesn't go away, right? That's the thing. The issue never goes away. There's no path really for TikTok to be a successful app in this country long-term and still be owned by ByteDance.” - Adam KovacevichLearn more about Chamber of ProgressBBC article on TikTok’s approach to D.C.ITIF analysis of the Digital Markets ActFollow Adam on LinkedIn Learn more at www.techedup.com Follow us on InstagramCheck out video on YoutubeFollow Niki on LinkedIn Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Puck reporter Teddy Schleifer pulls back the curtain on tech billionaires and political contributions.  He and Niki look into the money and influence wielded by Silicon Valley titans over the presidential campaign. They talk about effective altruists, the “red-pilling” of Silicon Valley, and why tech donations to third-party candidates will continue to make things interesting this election season. “We write about these donor advisors not because it's necessarily the juiciest stuff in the world, but [because] I think it tells you that this person is going to be spending 10 million plus a cycle.” -Teddy SchleiferFollow Teddy on TwitterSubscribe to PuckRead Teddy’s Newsletter Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Steer PR partner Lauren Tomlinson joins Niki for the second installment of Beyond the Buzz, the bi-weekly series of Tech’ed Up that digs into the comms, tech, and DC news creating headlines. They talk “Spamoflauge”, Gemini, and Chat GPT. Subscribe to the BLUF newsletterRead the Forbes articleRead the Washington Post articleRead the NY Times articleFollow Lauren on LinkedIn  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Head of Global Communications and Marketing at DeepMind, Dex Hunter-Torricke, joins Niki in the studio to inject some optimism and hope into the doom n’ gloom AI conversations dominating the airwaves. He highlights exponentially innovative developments at the Google subsidiary like AlhpaFold, scientific discoveries of new crystals and minerals, and AI-improved weather forecasting - all of which feeds his optimism for the future of tech. “AI is just opening up such extraordinary new possibilities for us in this century. So, I think it's actually hard, once you understand where the technology is going, not to be an optimist.” -Dex Hunter-Torricke Watch Dex’s TED talkFollow Dex on LinkedIn Listen to  the DeepMind Podcast Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Steer PR partner Lauren Tomlinson joins Niki for the first installment of Beyond the Buzz, the bi-weekly series of Tech’ed Up that digs into the comms, tech, and DC news creating headlines.  They swap hot takes on “jargon monoxide” when it comes to corporate layoffs, the new space race for AI-augmented satellite surveillance, and the Swifties’ impact on Super Bowl advertising. “...people are talking about [faster data processing in space] in the national security community a ton because obviously, that intelligence will be invaluable, but it's just as applicable across tech.” -Lauren TomlinsonSubscribe to the BLUF newsletterFortune ArticleForeign Affairs ArticleSuperbowl Ads Follow Lauren on LinkedIn  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Spotify’s Head of Content Partnerships, Jordan Newman, joins Niki remotely to celebrate Tech’ed Up going weekly and to share podcasting tips and tricks. This episode is a great listen for anyone who has thought they might want to join the ever-growing community of podcasters. Jordan also offers his take on what he thinks the impact of AI will be on the industry.“...podcasting is one of the few mediums that we have left that is really focused on long-form versus short-form.” -Jordan NewmanFollow Jordan on LinkedInWatch the Spotify Podcasting Masterclass VideosSpotify on Instagram Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

DC-based AI policy and governance expert, Chloe Autio, joins Niki in the studio to break down the state of play in Washington for AI regulations this year. They explore AI’s PR challenge, talk about the awkward optics of recent Congressional briefings, and Chloe explains why the term “artificial intelligence” conceals more than it reveals.  “It really should be more about not whether or not AI is going to take your job, but whether or not someone who uses and knows how to use AI will replace your job.” - Chloe AutioSign up for a class with Chloe at the Future of Privacy ForumFollow Chloe on LinkedIn  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

What’s happening on the frontlines of tech? Tune in to Tech'ed Up for zippy conversations about emerging technology hosted by industry veteran Niki Christoff.From the C-Suite and Capitol Hill to AI and crypto, quantum computing to the decentralized internet, Niki breaks down the trends in tech to help savvy listeners get even smarter. Guests include experts, enthusiasts, regulators, policymakers, CEOs, and reporters. Listen here or anywhere you get your podcasts to learn more from Niki and guests like SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, SeedAI Founder & President Austin Carson, Bloomberg podcast host & NY Times best-selling author Ashlee Vance, and Stellar Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon. New episodes premiere bi-weekly on Thursdays. Subscribe for the latest episode on YouTube, follow on Instagram, or listen on your podcast app of choice.  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Managing Director at Rock Creek Global Advisors, Matt Swinehart, joins Niki in the studio to talk fintech and the future fate of the USD. Matt previews why alternatives to the US Dollar will be a hot topic globally in 2024, how the Libra project still impacts the way regulators are thinking about crypto, and shares his take on why the EU approaches tech regulation differently than the US. Niki shares her take on Bitcoin and what might have been and Matt forecasts the state of play for regulation with AI in fintech. “There is no world, I think, in which crypto will ever be dead. Even when it comes to things like unbacked crypto, there is such momentum in the market that the goal of regulators is not to reduce that activity to zero.”  - Matt SwinehartFollow Matt on LinkedIn  Learn more about Rock Creek Global Advisors  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Meghan Joyce, Co-Founder and CEO of AI startup Duckbill, joins Niki in the latest installment of our Profiles in Tech Series. She shares insights from her unconventional career path from the Treasury Department to raising venture capital for an early-stage Boston tech company with stops along the way at Bain Capital, Uber, and Oscar Healthcare. Niki and Meghan share their optimism for the incredible opportunities AI offers both businesses and consumers. “What's so exciting as an entrepreneur in this space is the playing field is still wide open. It's not clear what the winning business model is going to be, where the clearest product market fit is, and that creates enormous potential. And I wouldn't be surprised if we see some many cycles of boom and bust here and a transformation of how we all think about AI.” -Meghan JoyceFollow Meghan on LinkedInLearn more about Duckbill Try out Duckbill as a friend of the pod for one month free  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Bruce Mehlman, founder of Mehlman Consulting, a bi-partisan lobbying juggernaut in Washington, DC, joins Niki in the studio to share his thoughts on 2023 and tech. They have a spirited conversation about politics, progress, and the state of play for tech regulation that touches on AI, tech’s impact on polling, and social media. “AI's existence doesn't mean, okay, now we're all going to settle all those old hard things…it's not endemic to some kind of Washington dysfunction that we haven't solved it. It's that hard things are hard.” -Bruce MehlmanFollow Bruce on XDive into the infographicsBruce recommends subscribing to Stratechery Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Assistant Director of the CIA for the Transnational and Technology Mission Center, Sheetal Patel, joins Niki in the studio to talk about how important tech is to their mission, partnerships with the private sector, and why they are actively recruiting technologists. This episode looks back at technology that the CIA helped bring to our everyday lives and looks forward to the impact of AI.  “The global strategic competition in emerging technology is actually occurring in the private sector. And so, for us, for CIA in particular, but I would say for my intelligence community colleagues as well, working with the private sector has never been so important.” -Sheetal PatelFollow Sheetal on LinkedInCareers at the CIA Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

CEO of Project Liberty, Martina Larkin, joins Niki remotely in the studio to talk about the non-profit’s hope for the future of the internet. They take a deep dive into data, decentralization, and how DSNP gives power back to the user. Niki makes the case for a digital backpack or ID and Martina shares how researchers, NGOs, and tech can partner together to make the next generation of the web safer for all. "This is not about pointing out the harms or the problems only. This is really about building a solution and an alternative way forward." - Martina LarkinFollow Martina on LinkedInLearn more about MeWeFind out more at Project Liberty Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

New York Times reporter and host of the popular podcast Hard Fork, Kevin Roose, joins Niki remotely to talk all things AI and why he’s a “sub-optomist” when it comes to how this latest tech revolution will impact our future. He shares some tips from his book, Futureproof, about how to be resilient in the age of AI in the workplace. Turns out being more human is the answer because you just can’t out-hustle a machine. “People should start thinking about it [AI] more as a tool for displacing tasks within jobs rather than entire jobs.”  Kevin RooseFollow Kevin on TwitterCheck out Hard ForkListen to Rabbit Hole Read Kevin’s NYT article Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn

Laura Dooley,  Head of Global Government Relations at StubHub, sits down with Niki in the studio to talk about the tech behind ticket pricing, why competition in the ticketing industry is so important for consumers, and highlights some smart and reasonable paths for policy solutions that will empower consumers and fans."When you buy a ticket, it should be yours. That's our point of view. Do what you want with it. Unfortunately, that's not how it works in the status quo." - Laura DooleyFollow Laura on LinkedIn Careers at StubHub  Learn More at www.techedup.com Follow us on Instagram Check out video on YouTube Follow Niki on LinkedIn