The AI Policy Podcast

AI Safety Goes Mainstream

An Anthropic researcher's viral resignation post last week set off a maelstrom of fear around extreme AI risks. Aalok and Nicole discuss the resulting vibe shift and how

Decoding State-Level Regulation with Jason Elliott

This week, Aalok is joined by Jason Elliott, the former Deputy Chief of Staff to California Governor Gavin Newsom, for a conversation about regulating AI at the state lev

METR Investigates OpenAI-Hugging Face Incident and California Legislature Advances IVO Framework

This week, we unpack findings from METR's six-day investigation of the OpenAI-Hugging Face cyber incident. We also discuss an IVO bill passed by the California Legislatur

Responding to AI Agent Containment Failures with CSET's Helen Toner, LawAI's Mackenzie Arnold & CSIS's Matt Pearl

This episode cross-posts a panel from the event "AI Agent Containment Failures: Technical Realities and Policy Responses," co-hosted by the Wadhwani AI Center and the Ins

OpenAI Pauses RL Training and Anthropic Adds Watermarks to AI-Generated Text

This week, we cover updates from the ongoing cyber saga, including OpenAI's two-week pause on RL training and the cyber capabilities of Z.ai's latest model GLM-5.3. We al

Planning for the AI-Powered Economy with Windfall's Adrian Brown

In this episode, we're joined by Adrian Brown, founder and CEO of Windfall Trust, for a conversation about the economic impacts of AI.   Why the economic focus (00:58)

The AI Policy Podcast Trailer

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 r

Three More AI Hacking Incidents, and a Push to 'Pace the Frontier'

In this episode, we touch on Texas' new verification and audit requirement for data center developers seeking connection to the state's grid (1:11) before unpacking Anthr

A Deep Dive Into IVOs with Fathom's Bri Treece

In this episode, we're joined by Fathom co-founder and President Bri Treece for a conversation about third-party solutions to AI governance. Bri makes the case for Indepe

Japan's Take on AI Sovereignty with Hiroki Habuka

In this episode, we're joined by Hiroki Habuka for a conversation about Japan's approach to AI sovereignty. We discuss how the Japanese government defines sovereign AI (1

OpenAI Models Hack Hugging Face, Kimi K3's "DeepSeek Moment," and New York's Data Center Moratorium

In this episode, we discuss reports that OpenAI models escaped a sandboxed evaluation and breached Hugging Face's infrastructure (00:33). We then turn to Moonshot AI's Ki

Canada's Approach to AI Sovereignty with Sean Mullin

In this episode, we're joined by Sean Mullin for a conversation on Canadian AI sovereignty. We discuss implications of the Trump Administration restricting foreign nation

Illinois Mandates Third-Party Audits of Frontier Labs and Trump Lifts Export Controls on Anthropic's Fable

In this episode, we discuss the AI Safety Measures Act, or SB 315, Illinois' new frontier AI bill that mandates third-party audits for frontier AI labs (:51). We also cov

Advancing AI Readiness with SeedAI's Austin Carson and Joshua New

In this episode, we're joined by Austin Carson and Joshua New of SeedAI, a nonprofit focused on building AI readiness in the United States. We discuss their backgrounds (

White House Imposes Export Controls on Anthropic's Fable and Tech CEOs Join Heads of State at G7 Summit

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 impos

Trump Signs Mythos-Inspired Executive Order After Delay and Reps. Obernolte and Trahan Release Draft Federal Framework for AI

In this episode, we unpack the Mythos-inspired executive order "Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security," which the Trump administration issued

Bridging the Public-Private Tech Talent Divide with Arun Gupta

In this episode of the AI Policy Podcast, Wadhwani AI Center Director Aalok Mehta is joined by Arun Gupta, CEO of NobleReach Foundation and experienced venture capitalist

Pope Leo Weighs in on AI and Trump Postpones Mythos-Inspired Executive Order

In this episode, Aalok Mehta makes his first appearance as the new host of the AI Policy Podcast. We briefly discuss what listeners can expect in this new chapter of the

The Next Chapter of the AI Policy Podcast

In this episode, founding host Gregory C. Allen announces his departure from CSIS and introduces Aalok Mehta, Director of the Wadhwani AI Center, as the new host of the A

Unpacking Russian Military AI with Kateryna Bondar

In this episode, we are joined by Wadhwani AI Center fellow Kateryna Bondar to discuss her recent reports on Russia's military AI, "How Russia Is Building a Sovereign Dro