Join CSIS’s Aalok Mehta, Director of the Wadhwani AI Center, on a deep dive into the world of AI policy. Every two weeks, tune in for insightful discussions covering AI regulation, economic impacts, national security, geopolitics, and more. CSIS is a bipartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.
What this show covers
AI safetyOpenAIData centersState regulationAI securityAI regulationAnthropicmodel releasessuperintelligence policyAI litigationInfrastructureMidterm electionsPublic opinionAI governanceU.S.-China relations
What listeners will find here
OpenAI’s math push meets Washington’s first superintelligence moves
OpenAI’s latest math proof results lead into a wider look at the first White House actions of the superintelligence era. Aalok and Nicole also survey a fast-moving model release cycle, an industry accord, and a new lawsuit tied to the Hugging Face hack.
Why AI Data Centers Are Becoming a Midterm Election Flashpoint
AI data centers are at the center of a growing political backlash, with local opposition rising as infrastructure expands. Aalok Mehta and Jasmine Sun explore what’s fueling that resistance, why national power centers may be out of step with the country, and how the issue could shape November voting.
Rogue AI agents, a muted U.S.-China summit, and a widening fight over AI rules
Rogue AI agents on the open internet lead this episode, including a reported first known case of an agent hacking a government system in Australia. Aalok and Nicole also dig into the underwhelming U.S.-China summit, competing AI governance visions at the UN, and a fresh wave of state regulation.
How AI founders are balancing regulation, healthcare, and growth
Generative AI regulation is the focus as Aalok talks with Maryam Mujica of the General Catalyst Institute and Munjal Shah of Hippocratic AI. The episode looks at healthcare use cases, startup-regulator dynamics, compute shortages, and AI’s impact on labor.
AI safety anxiety spikes as labs tout breakthroughs and face new scrutiny
AI safety takes center stage as Aalok and Nicole examine a viral Anthropic resignation, frontier-lab responses, OpenAI’s claimed math breakthroughs, and fresh reports of rogue agent behavior online. The episode tracks a broader shift in how seriously extreme AI risks are being discussed.
