The Tech Policy Press Podcast

Paul Nemitz, former European Commission official and author focused on data protection and AI law. He explores whether the future should be controlled or democratically shaped. He spotlights tech ideology and concentrated power. He argues for proactive legal frameworks, transatlantic civic action, and building a generation ready to defend rights in the AI era.

Nikki Gladstone, director of RightsCon who runs event planning and community engagement. Alejandro Mayoral Baños, co-executive director of Access Now with years of digital and human rights leadership. They recount the abrupt Lusaka cancellation, crisis response and diplomatic outreach. They discuss risks to local civil society, reassessing how and where global convenings can safely happen, and plans to keep the community connected.

Katie Wells, senior fellow at the AI Now Institute and researcher of healthcare labor, discusses how app-driven scheduling and algorithmic management are transforming nursing into gig work. She walks through on-demand platforms, their impacts on training and continuity, AI's role in automating assignments and pay, and the policy fights over how to regulate these systems.

Eric Null, director of the Privacy & Data Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, explains why the SECURE Data Act may weaken existing protections. He walks through data minimization, sensitive data definitions, AI training risks, and how preemption could erode state laws. He also discusses enforcement gaps, civil rights implications, and tradeoffs around interoperability and competition.

Raúl Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General leading litigation against major tech platforms over child safety and deceptive practices. He discusses the landmark jury verdict against Meta and what comes next. He outlines sought design reforms like age verification and algorithmic limits. He also covers balancing privacy and safety, AI risks for kids, and coordination with other states and regulators.

Chinmayi Sharma, Fordham law professor and tech-policy expert, and Sam Adler, 3L at Fordham who coauthored a draft law review piece. They unpack Palantir's ImmigrationOS as a hub for private surveillance and enforcement. They discuss how vendor ecosystems bypass local limits, interoperability that enables pervasive data flows, and how automation can erode public oversight and judicial review.

Asad Ramzanali, Director of AI and Technology Policy at Vanderbilt and author of 'After the AI Crash,' outlines why an AI-driven financial crash is plausible and how it creates a rare window for policy reform. He discusses the core arithmetic mismatch in AI investment, risky financing and opaque data center funding, the politics of bailouts, and proposals like utility-style regulation and structural separation.

Katrina Manson, reporter and author of Project Maven, explores the rise of AI in military operations. She traces the program’s origins, key figures like Drew Cukor, and early field tests. Conversations cover vendor battles, drone autonomy, human roles in lethal decisions, and legal fights over red lines for AI use in warfare.

Kate Klonick, law professor and Lawfare senior editor, unpacks how U.S. diplomacy now treats Elon Musk’s X as a preferred tool. She highlights the surprising official platform endorsement, coordination with military psyops, and how privatization shifted platform incentives. The conversation explores consequences for users, global influence, and regulatory pushback.

Olivier Sylvain, a Fordham Law professor and author on tech regulation, explores how platforms used free-speech rhetoric to dodge responsibility. He discusses court verdicts holding Big Tech accountable, how Section 230 and algorithms shield harmful design, and legal paths like design liability, transparency, and data rules to reclaim online spaces.