The AI Policy Podcast

In this episode, we're joined by Kate Koren, deputy director of the Economics Program and Scholl Chair at CSIS, to discuss the Trump administration's recent move to impose export controls on Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models. We walk through the events leading up to the administration's decision (:47) and explore what authorities the Commerce Department has to restrict access to AI models (6:54). We also unpack the implications of AI industry executives joining world leaders at the G7 Summit in France last week (21:36).

In this special episode recorded at Fathom’s 2026 Ashby Workshops, Greg sits down with Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America and author of Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better. Jennifer walks us through her career journey, from filing paperwork at a child welfare agency to helping pioneer the U.S. Digital Services in the Obama administration (3:45). She describes the need for upstream policy reform (11:29), and discusses AI’s potential to both empower public servants to challenge antiquated practices and help policymakers simplify complex regulations (28:03). Finally, Jennifer shares some AI use cases she’s particularly excited about in government (59:34). Jennifer Pahlka is a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center and the Federation of American Scientists and a senior advisor at the Abundance Network. She previously served as U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer, helping start the U.S. Digital Services under the second Obama administration, and as a member of the Defense Innovation Network. Read Jennifer’s book Recoding America and check out her Substack Eating Policy. Jennifer’s recommended reading: Hack Your Bureaucracy by Marina Nitze & Nick Sinai Crisis Engineering by Marina Nitze, Matthew Weaver, & Mikey Dickerson The Procedure Fetish by Nicholas Bagley Why Nothing Works by Marc J. Dunkelman Kill It with Fire by Marianne Bellotti

In this episode, we discuss and evaluate the BIS' new export policy for Nvidia's H200 chips (00:31) before turning to Beijing's decision to block H200 imports (20:18). We then unpack the Pentagon's recently published AI Strategy, including the shift it represents in DOW's approach to AI integration (29:17). Read the CNAS commentary "Unpacking the H200 Export Policy" here.

In this episode, we're joined by Chris McGuire for a conversation about AI and semiconductor export controls. We begin by discussing Chris' career path into AI and national security (1:55), then turn to his views on recent developments, including reports about a Chinese EUV prototype (11:07). We spend the rest of the episode rating common arguments against AI export controls as fact, fiction, or somewhere in-between (40:25). Chris is a Senior Fellow for China and Emerging Technologies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a leading expert on U.S.-China AI competition. Before joining CFR, he served as a career government official for over a decade, including as Deputy Senior Director for Technology and National Security at the National Security Council (NSC) from 2022 to 2024. Links to some of Chris' recent work, as discussed in the podcast, are included below. China’s AI Chip Deficit: Why Huawei Can’t Catch Nvidia and U.S. Export Controls Should Remain Testimony on Strengthening Export Controls on Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment

In this episode, we unpack President Trump’s new executive order targeting state AI laws, including how the final version compares to an earlier draft (1:26), and the legal and political challenges it is likely to face (14:46). We then discuss recent Reuters reporting on Meta’s reliance on scam-driven ad revenue (22:12) and what the social media experience suggests about the risks of failing to regulate AI (45:21).

In this episode, we start by discussing Greg's trip to India and the upcoming India AI Impact Summit in February 2026 (00:29). We then unpack the Trump Administration’s draft executive order to preempt state AI laws (07:46) and break down the European Commission’s new “digital omnibus” package, including proposed adjustments to the AI Act and broader regulatory simplification efforts (17:51). Finally, we discuss Anthropic’s report on a China-backed “highly sophisticated cyber espionage campaign" using Claude and the mixed reactions from cybersecurity and AI policy experts (37:37).

One of the most common questions we get from listeners is how to build a successful career in AI policy—so we dedicated an entire episode to answering it. We cover the most formative experiences from Greg's career journey (3:30), general principles for professional success (45:09), and actionable tips specific to breaking into the AI policy space (1:11:52).