Explain to Shane

This year has witnessed some extremely impressive breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence models, with OpenAI releasing GPT-4, Google with its Bard LLM, and many more competitors. But what might be less well-known is that there’s a whole class of music-making AI software rising, and it’s creating everything from symphonies to viral rap collaborations between Drake and the Weeknd. Some impressive, and some outright bad, the music industry is preparing to have another “Napster moment.” What will this mean for ownership and intellectual property? How will recording artists maintain control over their distinct styles and brands? What are market solutions to this, and where should policy step in?

To cut through the noise, we have David Hughes on the podcast. Hughes wields extensive experience in the music industry, having worked for Sony and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for many years, now running his own consulting firm.

In this episode, Shane investigates what AI will mean for the music we love. Don’t miss a beat—tune in now!

Throughout the Biden administration and this Congress, spectrum has been a priority for nearly everyone else in the world—except for us. We’re currently 378 megahertz behind other countries on mid-band spectrum, a vital resource for 5G communications quality. Spectrum isn’t anything we can see or touch, yet it’s all around us. However it is perhaps the most important infrastructure for our modern age as more and more tech communicates wirelessly. It is also a finite resource, which makes changes to its allocation exceedingly touchy. How can we navigate this pressing allocation issue within a context of selfishness and scarcity?

To walk us through what is holding us back on spectrum, we have Roger Entner back on the podcast. Entner is the founder of Recon Analytics, but his vast telecommunications experience includes being the senior vice president and head of research at Nielsen Media Research.

In this episode, Shane reiterates spectrum’s necessity while Roger identifies the smoking gun. Tune in as they band together on the precious resource of spectrum!

Two of the long-tail fears surrounding the future of the internet are the danger of creating either an internet controlled by the hands of the few and powerful at a global scale or what’s known as the “splinternet”—the cabining off of nation-states’ networks from the mainstream due to censorship, technological change, or commercial fragmentation.

Susan Ness sees something that lies between those poles. As a former FCC commissioner, Ness has extensive insight into the national and international machinations of the superstructure of our internet, and she has been crafting a new framework for understanding where the internet could go. Modularity is a co-regulatory approach to internet platform governance that helps to align democracies despite different legal systems, different regulatory horizons, and different societal norms. But how can we ensure that more illiberal governments don’t take advantage of this much more federated approach?

In this episode, Shane explores Ness’ concept of modularity from all sides. Tune in as they connect the nodes on internet governance innovation!

Unauthorized network access was the most common cause of third-party cyber attacks in 2022. This includes ransomware and phishing attacks that created internal network compromises that were responsible for 40 percent of third-party cybersecurity breaches. Are we really heading toward a more secure internet? Protection from cybersecurity scams needs more security by design and an ability to give more tools to consumers for better privacy and security control.

To get at the heart of some of these concerns, we interviewed AEI’s very own Paul Kupiec and Thomas Vartanian. Kupiec is a colleague at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on systemic risk and the management and regulation of banks and financial markets. Before joining AEI, Paul worked at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund, Freddie Mac, JP Morgan, and for the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve System.

Vartanian is the author of The Unbreakable Internet and has served as General Counsel of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board during the saving and loans crisis and as Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He is also the author of 200 Years of American Financial Panic, which is rising on the best-seller list. Tom currently leads the Financial Technology and Cybersecurity Center.

In this episode, Shane walks us through just one of the many approaches to creating a more secure internet for all. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Situated squarely in the digital age, yet still years behind the curve, our government spends upwards of $100 billion on its IT and cyber needs annually according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). With all that money being spent, how do we know we’re getting not only the best deal on software but also the most secure systems?

The National Cybersecurity Strategy calls for holding software companies liable for the security flaws in their products. This is an opportunity for the federal government to bring forward a new standard of good cybersecurity protocols. The White House plan invites the modernizing of government IT infrastructure to review the inherent vulnerabilities of legacy software and the licensing of software to federal government agencies. But how will this be accomplished? What does sound procurement look like?

To help us sort through this topic, we are joined by Ryan Triplette, executive director of the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing.

In this episode, Shane walks us through what’s involved in efficient, safe software procurement. Tune in as they sift through the paperwork!

Myriad questions are swirling around telecommunications policy at the outset of this year. Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Kuiper are heating up the discussion surrounding Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet. The FCC’s ability to auction off spectrum is up for reauthorization on March 9th, securing a vital asset for the regulatory body to disburse. And massive sums of money are being made available for broadband expansion, but with serious uncertainty on how to effectively use it. But how can we safeguard good governance over the technology that enables us to communicate so easily over such great distances in these important moments? To help identify such strategies, we are joined by Michael O’Rielly, former FCC Commissioner, telecommunications consultant, and public servant.

In this episode, Shane reminds us that “free” doesn’t mean no one is paying, that auctions matter, and that satellites are more than rocket science—among many other things. Tune in as they separate the signal from the noise on telecommunications policy!

Our devices, smart as they are, break on us, and often the only recourse outside of purchasing a new one is to take our broken tech to a licensed repair shop. But what if the replacement parts for such devices were more readily available or even set up for DIY repair? This is the supposed promise of the legal concept of the “right to repair.” It aims to give individuals the ability to repair and modify purchased products without restrictions from manufacturers or relegation to licensed repair shops. There is a dark side, however. What happens to the intellectual property of the device’s creators? How might third-party parts affect product security? What effects would this have on innovation and competition? To guide us through this debate, we are joined by Jeff Westling, the Director of Technology and Innovation Policy at the American Action Forum, as he draws from his recent article on the subject.

In this episode, Shane walks us through how complicated this question is and what both producers and consumers stand to gain—and lose—as this debate grows.

We live in a world where the security that we enjoy arises out of more than just police forces, standing armies, or the weapons we equip them with. Today’s security lies both in the seen and the unseen—the defenses built around our online networks, data, and connected technology repel attacks every day. How are we to coordinate amongst international allies to combat such attacks? Is a culture of trust possible in the realm of cybersecurity? Where does the Munich Security Conference (MSC) see itself amidst all of this in the 21st century? All of this and more are discussed with the Vice-Chairman and CEO of the MSC, Dr. Benedikt Franke.

In this episode, Shane walks us through just how important the digital element of international security is given the conflicts of today and those to come, how influential the MSC has been over the years in coordinating matters of security, and how the transatlantic security relationship will need to evolve.

What does it mean to gain tech influence on a global scale? How does America compare to China in helping the developing world get connected? What’s more effective: a tangible investment or a winning smile? Who is China eclipsing on the global stage? Technology, international security, and public policy have integrated over the last decade into something undeniable as a consideration when it comes to governing a modern superpower. In order to remain a superpower, it will require America to consider where and how it invests globally in international tech development and high-tech trade policy—and what that means for future trade relations. All of this and more are discussed with the Senior Vice President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), James Lewis.

In this episode, Shane underscores the consequences of policy decisions, the necessity of further American tech investment in the developing world, and the dangers of superpowers resting on their laurels and not considering the long-term consequences.

China has invested heavily in the telecommunications and internet infrastructure of the developing world. In the face of that significant head start, how might Europe and the US team up to catch up in the 5G influence race? What has the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) accomplished so far towards that end and others? Are we heading into more of a Brussels Effect on tech regulation? What does good AI governance look like? All of this and more are discussed with the European Parliament’s Senior Advisor on Technology Policy, Peter Brown.

In this installment, Shane walks us through just how behind the US is on 5G abroad compared to China, how dangerous emulating European AI policy can become, and how effective the TTC has been in considering both issues. The situation is a moving target, but between Peter and Shane, nothing flies under the radar.