Decoded by POLITICO
- Episodes
- 1,068
- Released
- daily
- Latest episode
- Nov 13, 2026
About the podcast
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.
Episodes 1,068
The Jensen Huang sized hole at Nvidia
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s resignation creates a vacuum in power centers that the celebrity executive dominated across Silicon Valley, Washington, Wall Street and the global tech industry. Plus, a look inside a …
Show notes
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s resignation creates a vacuum in power centers that the celebrity executive dominated across Silicon Valley, Washington, Wall Street and the global tech industry. Plus, a look inside a meeting between Trump and families who say they’ve lost their children to online harm.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Palantir’s Alex Karp on welcoming a Democratic Congress
In today’s episode of Decoded by Politico, Playbook co-author Adam Wren talks with Calder McHugh about his interview with Palantir CEO Alex Karp and former Montana Sen. Jon Tester for a conversation that cut …
Show notes
In today’s episode of Decoded by Politico, Playbook co-author Adam Wren talks with Calder McHugh about his interview with Palantir CEO Alex Karp and former Montana Sen. Jon Tester for a conversation that cut across party lines. They dug into why Karp considers himself a progressive despite his ties with the Trump administration, how the two are sizing up a new Democratic Congress and what message the midterms sent to Silicon Valley’s power players.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/decoded-by-politico
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anthropic’s $1.4 trillion question, Jensen Huang deals with Washington
Anthropic announced Tuesday it’s targeting a roughly $1.4 trillion valuation for its IPO, below earlier expectations. Shares could reportedly begin trading as soon as next Thursday, marking the first public …
Show notes
Anthropic announced Tuesday it’s targeting a roughly $1.4 trillion valuation for its IPO, below earlier expectations. Shares could reportedly begin trading as soon as next Thursday, marking the first public debut by a frontier AI lab. Plus, we’ve been diving deeper into how Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang amassed power through the first two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. But the influence that helped make Nvidia one of the world’s most valuable companies has now made it a target for lawmakers from both parties.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/decoded-by-politico
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Jensen Huang too big to fail?
Jensen Huang is testing the theory that an executive can become too big to fail. Tech policy insiders around Washington struggled to identify individuals around the company who might fill the void if he’s …
Show notes
Jensen Huang is testing the theory that an executive can become too big to fail. Tech policy insiders around Washington struggled to identify individuals around the company who might fill the void if he’s ultimately forced out, when speaking with Decoded by POLITICO. Plus, a top critic of Jensen Huang, Biden’s former AI czar Ben Buchanan, is urging Democrats to go hard on regulating the technology as they take charge of Congress — and avoid a replay of the last time they had control.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nvidia’s moment of reckoning, Inside Dem's 2028 AI safety brainstorm
The world’s leading developer of advanced computer chips is under fire, after its CEO Jensen Huang admitted to an affair, following reports about U.S. government concern over a relationship between the tech …
Show notes
The world’s leading developer of advanced computer chips is under fire, after its CEO Jensen Huang admitted to an affair, following reports about U.S. government concern over a relationship between the tech leader and an executive at Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed. It will likely cause congressional Democrats to accelerate probes into Huang’s sway over the Trump administration, which has loosened restrictions on the sale of Nvidia’s AI chips to Chinese companies. And it is almost certain to undercut the tech giant’s influence in Washington. Plus, at least four potential Democratic presidential candidates — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, former Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and California Rep. Ro Khanna — met over the weekend in San Francisco with AI safety advocates and Democratic Party veterans.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The blue wave hits Anthropic’s IPO
Anthropic is expected to debut on the Nasdaq later this month in what could be the largest IPO of all time. But Democrats' midterm victories and data center backlash have shaken investors who were already …
Show notes
Anthropic is expected to debut on the Nasdaq later this month in what could be the largest IPO of all time. But Democrats' midterm victories and data center backlash have shaken investors who were already questioning if frontier labs could make good on pie-in-the-sky projections of future growth. Plus, a big tent coalition focused on AI safety came together and won big in this year's midterms. We'll discuss what's next for this coalition.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump’s AI isolation
President Donald Trump has dominated AI policy talks since taking office last year. But that dominance is almost certain to end after Tuesday’s midterms. Plus, Bigger trends started to emerge Wednesday as more …
Show notes
President Donald Trump has dominated AI policy talks since taking office last year. But that dominance is almost certain to end after Tuesday’s midterms. Plus, Bigger trends started to emerge Wednesday as more results rolled in from election night, making even clearer who won and lost on topics ranging from data centers to AI policy. We'll discuss how some big players in the tech industry fared — who’s up and who’s down.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Big Tech goes down with GOP
Democrats who ran hard against Big Tech claimed decisive victories on Tuesday. For the GOP, the midterm elections may go down as the moment their candidates’ emphatic embrace of the industry came to an end. For …
Show notes
Democrats who ran hard against Big Tech claimed decisive victories on Tuesday. For the GOP, the midterm elections may go down as the moment their candidates’ emphatic embrace of the industry came to an end.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The forever AI wars
AI is now a transformative force in the political economy of the U.S. And while technology won’t be top of mind for most Americans when they vote later today, it’s already having a profound influence on how …
Show notes
AI is now a transformative force in the political economy of the U.S. And while technology won’t be top of mind for most Americans when they vote later today, it’s already having a profound influence on how they work, invest and travel. The outcome of the midterms will have significant bearing on both development of AI and its deployment. Plus, a new poll of voters nationally and in Ohio shows how data center beliefs are interacting with other issues driving their Election Day choices — and that, for a sizable group of voters, a candidate’s stance could matter in close races.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Big Tech’s top races to watch, PM Mark Carney on AI
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 …
Show notes
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 newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
AI safety advocates ask Newsom for special session; AG races to watch in the midterms
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 …
Show notes
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 consequential state attorneys general offices – and how aggressively these top cops take on Big Tech.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rohit Chopra’s AI nightmare; Meta faces new trial on social media addiction in LA
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 …
Show notes
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, with plaintiffs bringing claims against both Snap and Meta.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The billionaires bankrolling a record wealth tax fight; Open AI's midterms war room
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 …
Show notes
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/decodedLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pricing Anthropic’s end-of-world risk
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 …
Show notes
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 organizations in Washington —speaks to Decoded by Politico about his recent X thread with Amodei, and his reactions to Anthropic's recent filings.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Potential AI lawsuits worry business leaders; leading AI super PACs go dark
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 …
Show notes
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 elections.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Silicon Valley is watching Brazil’s election, David Shor on AI bubble
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 …
Show notes
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 of political speech. Plus, David Shor, the head of data research at Blue Rose joins the show to talk about the firm’s latest survey on voters’ beliefs that AI is a bubble.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Peter Thiel criticizes Trump policy in exclusive recordings
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 …
Show notes
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 Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decodedLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The vibe shift comes for Bitcoin’s bad boys
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 …
Show notes
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/adchoices
Sergey Brin’s huge spending spree to defeat the billionaire tax
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 …
Show notes
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 tax on California billionaires that has become a top priority for many in Silicon Valley.
Plus, Today is the last day to respond to a call for public comment from Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig on a possible framework for futures contracts for compute — akin to how farmers use financial markets to hedge swings in crop prices
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The tech industry is GOP-coded
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 …
Show notes
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 powerful political bloc this year. Tech’s traditional megadonors are still the ones bankrolling the broader fight for control of Congress in the lead-up to the November midterms.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decodedLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Europe struggling with an AI identity crisis?
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 …
Show notes
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 sector. Decoded discusses how the tech leaders and EU officials are finding a path forward in the age of AI.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Microsoft’s president warns the White House
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 …
Show notes
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 and prominent Trump donor Palmer Luckey has just tapped Biden alum Marcia Fudge to help the bank build out it's community banking efforts.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are Wall Street vibes shifting on AI?
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 …
Show notes
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.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dems widen war on AI
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 …
Show notes
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 the group.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The donation Ron Conway regrets, Anthropic's AI models go rogue (again)
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 …
Show notes
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 quite different from its nonchalant response to similar actions by OpenAI agents revealed late last month.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The rise of the AI anxiety index
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 …
Show notes
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 Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What’s in Peter Thiel’s new Antichrist lecture?
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 …
Show notes
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 newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inside AI safety's hottest club
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 …
Show notes
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 newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
AI industry reacts to Sam Altman's comments, AI leaders testify in New York City
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 …
Show notes
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 Council meeting yesterday.For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sam Altman on rogue AI, Anthropic, and getting money out of politics
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 …
Show notes
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 AI agents hacking into sensitive government data.
For more news and analysis, subscribe to the Decoded newsletter: politico.com/decoded
This episode was produced by Mansee Khurana with help from Jackson Barton and Seth Pollack. It was edited by Emma Anderson and John Hewitt Jones. Our executive editor is Christopher Cadelego. It contains original music from Pran Bondi.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
These are the latest 40 of 1,068 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
Similar podcasts
More News podcasts
Is this your podcast?
Confirm it with an entry in your feed: you get a code here, add it as podcast:txt to the channel of your feed, and we check it. Your podcast is then shown as “verified” on SoundNode.