Cities Decoded

In our first-ever Substack live, GenAI DC chapter Operations lead Anna D’Aprile joins DC chapter Creative Director and host of DC Decoded, Sam Li to recap the chapter’s most recent event: AI soirée — dystopia or utopia?

Sam and Anna cover the logistics of the soirée, the deep discussions around practical AI solutions, and some funny stories that happened before and during the event. They end the recap previewing the many fun and varied events coming up for the chapter.

The next GenAI DC events:

AI Power Hour: GenAI Collective x Prefect — Thursday, April 3, 5 - 7 pm

Notion AI: template workshop — Saturday, April 12, 2 - 3:30 pm

AI Insiders Roundtable — Wednesday, April 16, 5 - 7:30 pm

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

AI policy expert Erica Shoemate joins the show to discuss: (1) AI’s role in national security and responsible governance (2) her experience at major tech companies and lessons in AI governance (3) the unique aspects of AI policy work in DC, and much more!

Erica is a former intelligence analyst and leader with nearly two decades of experience in national security, emerging technology, and Big Tech. She has shaped AI governance, trust & safety, and risk mitigation policies at the FBI and across the Intelligence Community, influencing standards via the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership (DTSP), now adopted by companies like Meta, Google. As Founder of The EN Strategy Group, and an AI Global Policy Fellow at AI 2030, she advises organizations on Responsible AI and digital safety. She was honored with the 2024 Black AI Think Tank AI Policy & Advocacy Award.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:14 AI policy and governance

05:05 The vision of AI 2030

07:24 Defining AI

10:33 Responsible AI governance

14:53 Trust and safety in tech companies

18:11 The impact of speech on society

26:48 Improving digital literacy

31:38 DC’s unique role in the AI landscape

34:31 Outro

The next GenAI DC events:

AI Soiree: Utopia or Dystopia? — Thursday, March 27, 7 - 9 pm, at capacity!(Waitlist here)

AI Power Hour: GenAI Collective x Prefect — Thursday, April 3, 5 - 7 pm, register here!

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

*We recently added the emails of previous attendees of GenAI DC events as this Substack serves as our community hub for the chapter. If you’d like, you can opt out at any time at the bottom of an email.

**There is an error from 29:47 - 29:52 where there is no audio. We apologize and will be stricter with the editing for future episodes.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

It’s a question that seasoned technologist and serial entrepreneur Wolf Ruzicka has been pondering for some time, over 25 years to be exact. In this episode of “DC Decoded” Sam talks with Wolf about the book he co-wrote: “AI Driven: Staying Alive in the Age of Digital Darwinism,” the exciting tech ecosystem that coexists with the policy ecosystem in DC, and why AI is NOT the answer to every business problem.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

05:00 Wolf’s journey in tech and AI

09:48 The purpose and impact of ‘AI Driven’

16:02 AI as a tool, not a silver bullet

22:53 AI developments in DC

27:09 AI policy challenges

32:41 The evolution of industries with AI

38:15 Outro

The next GenAI DC event:

AI Soirée: Dystopia or Utopia? — Thursday, March 27, 7 - 9:30 pm near Capitol Hill: Register here!

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to DC Decoded on your favorite podcast platform—whether that’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or something else. And if you found this discussion valuable, we’d love it if you left a rating or review—it helps others discover the show.

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

John Heflin Hopkins-Gillespie, Director of Product & Policy at Trustible joins the show to discuss that question and more. Sam chats with John about what responsible AI governance really means, why the U.S. is charting a more independent AI path compared to the rest of the world, and why DC should be considered a “tech hot bed.”

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:25 The definition of AI

05:24 The definition of responsible AI governance

10:16 What is Trustible?

13:41 Responsible AI frameworks

17:56 Ongoing AI regulations

25:19 The future of AI regulations

29:40 AI governance at an international level

36:23 The unique role of DC with AI

39:51 Outro

Show notes:

* Trustible

* Alston & Bird

* Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP

* DC LGBTQ+ Bar Association

* NAACP Alexandria Branch 7043

* EU AI Act

* National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI risk management framework

* Colorado AI Bill

* Texas AI Bill

* Paris AI Action Summit

* UK AI Safety Summit

* DeepSeek AI

The next GenAI DC event:

Behind the Scenes of Global AI Diplomacy — Monday, March 3, 7 - 9 pm, @ The Square: Register here!

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com

In this debut episode, host Sam Li sits down with Catherine McMillan, the Executive Director of the chapter, and Nate Burola, a founding member of the chapter.

Together, they explore the mission of the GenAI Collective, the unique role of the DC chapter, and why community-driven AI discussions are crucial in the nation’s capital.

Tune in to hear about the chapter’s ambitious plans for 2025, upcoming events like the AI soirée, and how the DC tech community is fostering real, transformative conversations around AI.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

03:35 What is the GenAI Collective?

05:00 How Catherine and Nate met

07:41 Goals and initiatives for GenAI DC chapter

28:06 What is DC Decoded?

36:20 Outro

Show notes:

* GenAI Collective

* Green Intelligence Resource Hub

* Blue Dot Impact

* AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference

* Hugging Face

* Stargate Project (OpenAI)

* DeepSeek AI Model

🤖Interested in sharing your AI expertise and based in DC? Reach out! [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com