S14E1: Valerie Hudson on Tech Lords, Democracy, and AI Governance

In this episode, Medlir is joined by Clara Long, a human rights lawyer turned democracy strategist and co-lead of BLOOM. We discuss why public deliberation matters in an age of polarization and disinformation, how technology can support rather than replace civic judgment, and what it takes to help communities reason and decide together across difference.Bloom ProjectAI & Our CommunitiesAI and the Future of Our CommunitiesThe American Public Trust 

In this episode, host Medlir Mema sits down with Adam Billen, Co-Executive Director of Encode, to examine a surprising shift in U.S. AI policy. They discuss the Trump administration's recent efforts to establish a federal framework for frontier AI models, expand AI's role in national security, and limit state-level regulation. The conversation explores what these developments reveal about Washington's evolving approach to artificial intelligence, the changing relationship between government and AI companies, and the challenges of balancing innovation and security in the age of AI.Links:https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/06/promoting-advanced-artificial-intelligence-innovation-and-security/https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/06/national-security-presidential-memorandum-nspm-11/https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/eliminating-state-law-obstruction-of-national-artificial-intelligence-policy/https://encodeai.org

Michael Toscano joins Age of AI to discuss Pope Leo XIV’s first AI encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. The conversation explores human dignity, digital dependency, family life, AI personhood, and why the Vatican believes the future of artificial intelligence is ultimately a question about what it means to be human.Links:https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.htmlhttps://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.htmlhttps://ifstudies.org/family-first-technology-initiativehttps://ifstudies.org/report-brief/high-tech-low-play-the-life-of-american-childrenhttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-05/pope-leo-xiv-encyclical-magnifica-humanitas-ai.htmlhttps://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/idols-of-the-valley

AI is supposed to make marketing easier. So why are so many companies more confused about their messaging than ever? In this episode, Medlir talks with Josh Porter — author of The Last Human Marketer — about what he calls "drowning in automation": the paradox where scaling content and tools produces less clarity, not more. Josh makes the case that human judgment in positioning isn't a legacy constraint — it's a competitive edge. He also introduces the "Customer Connect Code," his framework for translating complex AI products into language that actually lands with buyers.Link:The Last Human Marketer

To open Season 14 of Age of AI, and to mark the podcast’s 5-year anniversary, we are joined by Dr. Valerie Hudson for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, governance, and the future of political order. Drawing on her decades of work at the intersection of international relations and emerging technology, Dr. Hudson reflects on how we arrived at this moment, the risks of concentrated technological power, and what a more democratic future for AI might require.Links:The Oxford Handbook of AI GovernanceOpinion: The reckoning that came for social media will come for AI and prediction markets, tooOpinion: Our tech lords have plans for us, and they’re chillingOpinion: The irony of Anthropic’s stand Perspective: Both Democrats and Republicans oppose a ban on state AI regulation. Why is it still being considered? An Avoidable ApocalypseArtificial Intelligence And International PoliticsSpecial Announcement: the AI Ethics and Governance Institute is organizing the AI Law & Governance Conference (ALGO 2026), an immersive executive program taking place September 8-10, 2026, in Istanbul, Turkey. Organized in collaboration with two leading AI law firms, Kirton/McConkie and Clarion AI Partners, the program is designed for lawyers, corporate governance officials, government officials, and graduate students. For more information, please visit the AI Ethics and Governance Institute website: aegixinstitute.org

In this episode, Catherine Bracy, Founder and CEO of TechEquity and author of World Eaters, joins Medlir to examine how the venture capital model shapes not just startups, but the broader economy. From labor disruption and “ghost workers” to the growing concentration of power in the AI stack and the transformation of housing markets through tech platforms, the discussion explores how innovation, capital, and inequality intersect. Grounded in TechEquity’s work, the episode also considers what meaningful intervention could look like, and whether it is possible to steer technological progress toward more equitable outcomes.Links:Catherine Bracy The tech industry's growth should benefit everyone.World Eaters | How Venture Capital is Cannibalizing the Economy Privacy, Technology, and Fair Housing – In a nutshell AI & Workforce Development – November 2025 Report

Caryn Lusinchi, Young Diogenes, and Medlir are back to unpack the rapidly shifting landscape of AI safety following the IASEAI Conference in Paris. They explore how AI risk is evolving beyond technical challenges into global coordination problems, especially as systems become autonomous and agentic. From “synthetic outlaws” and shifting accountability, to emerging economic disruption and geopolitical competition, the discussion highlights how current governance frameworks are designed for humans, and struggling to keep pace. The episode closes by examining the unresolved gap between accelerating AI capabilities and fragmented global oversight. This raises a central question: is AI safety becoming a tool for protection, control -- both?Links:IASEAI’26 Conference AEGIX AE Ethics & Governance Institute 

Trooper Sanders joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence and its effects on the economy, governance, and everyday life. Drawing on his experience advising on national AI policy, Sanders walks through the White House's new AI framework and the competing legislation it faces, unpacking the key tensions between innovation, safety, and federal versus state authority — and making the case that AI policy ranks among the defining societal challenges of our time, comparable to the great turning points in American history.Links:White House National Policy FrameworkBlackburn Omnibus AI Bill

In this episode of Age of AI, I share a conversation with international business attorney Jonathan Bench on what it means to govern intelligence in a rapidly shifting legal and geopolitical landscape. We explore how AI is reshaping the practice of law, what is keeping boards and executives up at night, whether regulation is constraining or enabling innovation, and why the global competition over AI may ultimately be a race to define standards rather than simply build faster models. Drawing on Jonathan’s experience advising companies, founders, and investment funds across multiple continents, this discussion examines the intersection of corporate governance, regulatory strategy, and long-term national competitiveness in the age of artificial intelligence.Links:Jonathan Bench Personal Page AEGIX AI Law and Governance PracticumLawbalization Podcast 

From AI built religions on Moltbook to human simulation platforms like RentAHuman, the boundaries between human and machine are already blurring. While Congress debates national frameworks, US states are advancing their own AI transparency and safety laws. In this episode, Alexandra Tsalidis of the Future of Life Institute breaks down how state governments are shaping AI policy, why voters are backing these efforts, and how a growing federal preemption fight could determine who governs AI in America.Links:Alexandra Tsalidis - Future of Life InstituteMoltbook: AI bots use social network to create religions and deal digital drugs – but are some really humans in disguise?The Hill Republican who could get a deal on AI — if his leadership lets him ‘Vance Is Handcuffed’: The Tech Fight Bedeviling 2028 Republicans