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JB Pritzker thinks AI could help us live to 100 — or threaten us like nukes

October 19, 2026 · 59 min

Show notes

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker,  has a lot of thoughts about AI, tech, and privacy. Those issues are driving a big and maybe kind of unexpected political realignment — and with the midterms coming up next month, and early voting already underway in a lot of places, the stakes are pretty high right now. And as he notes, some problems are just collective action problems that require a government. We can’t solve everything one at a time, or even one state at a time.

And of course, I had to ask him: Are the Bears gonna stay in Illinois?


Links: 

  • How ordinary Utahns fought the biggest data center in the world  | The Verge

  • New York Gov. Kathy Hochul thinks AI should be ‘less evil’  | Decoder

  • YouTube CEO: ‘We’re focused on internal safety efforts’  | CNN

  • Pritzker signs landmark AI regulation bill | Capitol News Illinois

  • Pritzker establishes AI Cabinet amid calls for regulation | NPR Ilinois

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Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder’s producers are Greg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by [TK EDITOR]. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. 

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.


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All episodes of Decoder with Nilay Patel

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