A large contingent of Silicon Valley CEOs followed President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia this week, where a number of them announced billions of dollars in AI-related investments and business partnerships. Mohammed Soliman, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, says this is the new Middle East — where the relationship with the U.S. is driven by tech and innovation, not just oil and security. On POLITICO Tech, Soliman tells host Steven Overly how this new arrangement benefits tech companies and Gulf nations — and why it’s necessary if the U.S. hopes to stay ahead of China. 

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade and technology.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech.

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The saga over control of OpenAI took yet another turn this week when the ChatGPT maker announced it will no longer try to splinter off from the nonprofit that controls it. But critics of that plan, including former OpenAI employee Page Hedley, aren’t exactly taking a victory lap. On POLITICO Tech, Hedley joins host Steven Overly to explain why the latest news still leaves some doubt about OpenAI’s commitment to its founding mission of building artificial intelligence that’s good for humanity.  

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade and technology.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy and producer of POLITICO Tech.

Alex Keeney is a senior audio producer at POLITICO. 

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President Donald Trump was sworn into office just over 100 days ago. And ever since Inauguration Day, tech industry leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have been a regular presence at the White House. But the start of Trump’s term — from tariffs to antitrust trials to DOGE cuts — has been rocky for Silicon Valley. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Brendan Bordelon joins host Steven Overly for a debrief on Trump’s first 100 days in office, and a look at what’s to come in the next 100.

Steven Overly is the host of POLITICO Tech and covers the intersection of trade and technology.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy. 

Alex Keeney is a senior audio producer at POLITICO.

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent hours in a Washington courtroom this week answering questions about his decision to buy Instagram and WhatsApp more than a decade ago — and whether the social media empire he now oversees is a monopoly. Losing the high-stakes lawsuit, which was brought by the Federal Trade Commission, could ultimately lead to Meta being broken up. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly unpacks Meta’s week in court with former Republican FTC Chair Bill Kovacic.

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Washington is looking to regulate how kids use the internet with legislation that could alter how online platforms collect data, monitor content and design features. Roblox has a lot at stake in that debate — with some 90 million daily users, many of them young kids, who flock to the platform to play games and socialize. On POLITICO Tech, Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki joins host Steven Overly to discuss how the company aims to stay ahead of regulation. Plus, his take on the recent tariff turmoil and his bid to buy TikTok.

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After days of stock market mayhem, President Donald Trump pulled back most of the tariffs he slapped on U.S. trade partners. But not China. Trump upped his tariffs on China to 125 percent — the latest shot in a rapidly escalating trade war. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks to Nazak Nikakhtar, a former Commerce Department official during Trump’s first term and law partner at Wiley, about the ways in which the tech industry is vulnerable to Beijing’s retaliation, and why she thinks the economic pain from these sky-high tariffs is necessary.

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What’s Washington without Elon Musk? That’s a question many Republicans are hoping to answer in the weeks ahead after President Donald Trump told allies that Musk’s time in the White House is soon coming to an end. But getting the world’s richest man and designated  small-government crusader to move on will be complicated, even if Musk does have a slumping business empire to run. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly is joined by POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade and POLITICO contributor Issie Lapowsky to break down the political and business pressure Musk is under, and why he’ll stick around as a political power player long after leaving D.C.

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“Liberation Day” arrived at the White House and President Donald Trump, as promised, slapped sweeping tariffs on the world. But what comes next may be less predictable — especially for tech. From the TikTok sale to digital services taxes, tech issues are now a bargaining chip as countries negotiate with the Trump administration to ease tariffs. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly chats with Michael Froman, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. trade representative, about what Liberation Day could mean for Silicon Valley.

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Greenland’s “Great Race” isn’t just a dog sled competition. It’s increasingly a hunt for critical minerals and AI data centers — two national security priorities for President Donald Trump and a business opportunity being pursued by some in his orbit. On POLITICO Tech, E&E News reporter Hannah Northey joins host Steven Overly in the wake of Vice President JD Vance’s controversial visit to explain why Greenland could help address major tech challenges facing the U.S. 

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Were the messages “war plans” or “attack plans”? Was the information classified, sensitive or something in between? If you put aside the spin around Signalgate, security experts warn secret military operations shouldn’t be shared on commercial messaging apps like Signal in the first place. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly discusses the tech implications of this week’s White House fiasco with Graham Brookie, the Atlantic Council’s vice president of technology programs and a former National Security Council adviser.

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