Stung by messaging missteps over the coronavirus crisis, baby formula shortage and abortion access, the Food and Drug Administration is planning to hire Vin Gupta and other senior-level advisers to shore up the agency’s communications. Adam Cancryn reports.

Battered FDA hopes new advisers will solve PR problems

The POLITICO Tech podcast is your daily download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy. From AI and the metaverse to disinformation and microchips, we explore how today’s technology is shaping our world — and driving the policy decisions, global rivalries and industries that will matter tomorrow.

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The relationship between Washington and the tech industry has gone through no shortage of ups and downs over the years, but things were all smiles earlier this week at an AI expo hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project. The CEO of that group, Ylli Bajraktari, talked to host Steven Overly about the Washington-Silicon Valley divide and why collaboration between industry and government is the only way he sees the U.S. beating China on AI.

How the US beats China on AI

CNN contributor and Dream Machine founder Van Jones met NobleReach Foundation CEO Arun Gupta at a tech festival. It turned out they’re both AI optimists, and think all the doom and gloom about the technology belies its larger benefits. On a live taping of POLITICO Tech, they join host Steven Overly to make the case for more communities to embrace — not fear — AI and for tech workers to enter public service.

Van Jones and Arun Gupta on the new AI civilization

TikTok has long faced criticism for suspected ties to the Chinese government. But since the start of the war, U.S. officials have also accused the app of amplifying posts that are sympathetic to Hamas and damaging to Israel. But data from the app tells a more complex story. POLITICO reporter Mark Scott worked with Northeastern University researcher Laura Edelson to analyze some 350,000 TikTok posts about the war, and on today’s show, Mark explains their findings to host Steven Overly — and what the analysis reveals about TikTok’s response to a growing political crisis.

How TikTok’s algorithm really handled the Israel-Gaza war

Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda says AI is transforming education -- both how it’s delivered and what people are studying. On today's Politico Tech, Jeff’s case to host Steven Overly for why higher education needs an AI overhaul, and how he uses AI to help decide Coursera’s business strategy.

How AI will upend non-elite universities, according to Coursera’s CEO

There’s a legal battle brewing between TikTok and the federal government. But how anxious are US companies about losing one of the newest and frankly most exciting social media outlets in years? Rachel Karten had that question, too. She’s a social media consultant for brands like Cava and West Elm, and author of a Substack called Link in Bio, a newsletter about the business of social media. She spoke with host Steven Overly to talk about what she's hearing from brands and what losing TikTok could mean for online culture and commerce.

Battered FDA hopes new advisers will solve PR problems

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