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Explain to Shane

AEI Podcasts
Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecurity
Small Business Financing
Privacy
Capital Access
Digital Markets Act
Drones
Phishing Attacks
Shubox
Entrepreneurship
Telecommunications
Enterprise Browser
Drug Shortages
Blockchain Technology
Alternative Data
Education
Life Sciences
Satellite Technology
App Association
Federal Communications Commission

Technology has become increasingly important to policy debates, but these debates won’t be productive without an understanding of how the technology in question works. AEI Visiting Fellow Shane Tews interviews tech industry experts to explain how the apps, services, and structures of today's information technology systems work, and how they shape our social and economic life.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes145Founded6 years ago
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GovernmentTechnology

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Latest Episodes

Artificial intelligence is being integrated into nearly every industry, but how is Congress using AI? As policymakers and their staff work to serve their constituents, can AI be used as a tool to modernize legislative operations, better equip staff, ... more

There is an invisible resource that powers our smartphones and connects our devices: spectrum airwaves. But regulations governing these airwaves were set decades ago, long before the age of smartphones and autonomous vehicles. With technology changin... more

Information technology and digital services are a rapidly changing sector operating in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. International bodies have struggled to fast-track standards for the digital services industry, and major companies ... more

As the digitization of the economy accelerates, the friction points facing the adoption of cryptocurrency are becoming more evident. The benefits of on-ramping to stablecoin are obvious: faster and more efficient money exchanges and improved cross-bo... more

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Recent Guests

Aubrey Wilson
Managing Director of POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation
Episode: Congressional Use of Artificial Intelligence (with Aubrey Wilson)
Thomas Hazlett
Maculay Endowed Professor of Economics and Director of the Information Economy Project at Clemson University; former Chief Economist at the FCC
Clemson University / Information Economy Project / FCC (former)
Episode: Unlocking the Airwaves: Spectrum Allocation and Regulation (with Thomas Hazlett)
David Sullivan
Founding executive director of the DTSP and former World Economic Forum Global Coalition for Digital Safety co-chair
Digital Trust and Safety Partnership (DTSP)
Episode: Trust and Safety in a Fragmented Digital World (with David Sullivan and Farzaneh Badiei)
Farzaneh Badiei
Head of Outreach and Engagement at DTSP; founder of Digital Medusa
Digital Trust and Safety Partnership
Episode: Trust and Safety in a Fragmented Digital World (with David Sullivan and Farzaneh Badiei)
Marc Boiron
CEO of Polygon Labs, former Chief Legal Officer
Polygon Labs
Episode: Moving the Economy On-Chain (with Marc Boiron and Nicoletta Kolpakov)
Michael Greenwald
Director of Global Executive Relations at Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services
Episode: Has the Cloud Gone Global? (with Michael Greenwald)
Lynne Kiesling
Non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Director of the Institute for Regulatory Law and Economics at Northwestern University
American Enterprise Institute; Northwestern University
Episode: Data Centers and Power Grids: The Battle for AI Infrastructure (with Lynne Kiesling and Steve DelBianco)
Steve DelBianco
President and CEO of NetChoice; former founder and president of Financial Dynamics
NetChoice
Episode: Data Centers and Power Grids: The Battle for AI Infrastructure (with Lynne Kiesling and Steve DelBianco)
Dana Goward
President of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation
Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation
Episode: GPS, the Invisible Foundation of Modern Infrastructure, Needs an Update (with Dana A. Goward and Jeff Hathaway)

Host

Shane Tews
Host of Explain to Shane, AEI Visiting Fellow

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 23 ratings
  • Shane is the ‘All Things Internet’ subject matter expert

    Listen and subscribe to Shane’s podcast understand the current and forthcoming Hot Topics within the Internet Industry. It will be well worth your time - great podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jennifer Gore
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guests but topics can be dense for newcomers.
Experts provide crisp, accessible explanations of tech policy.
Diverse guest roster brings broad perspectives on regulation and innovation.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#177
Chile/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Congressional Use of Artificial Intelligence (with Aubrey Wilson)
Q: What's the difference between using tools blessed by House admin versus other tools staff might have on their own devices?
The House permits three commercially available large language models with paid accounts and enabled privacy settings, but there is a distinct enterprise Copilot integration that's customized for House IT, providing deeper search and data access within approved Office 365 workflows, whereas consumer tools are browser-based and not integrated with internal data.
Congressional Use of Artificial Intelligence (with Aubrey Wilson)
Q: But so, for listeners who may not be familiar with your organization, can you start by telling us about POPVOX Foundation, the foundation, and what your mission is?
POPVOX Foundation is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization focused on strengthening legislatures through internal tools, resources, and trainings that help staff and members do their jobs better. We work beyond Congress to state and global legislatures, emphasizing practical AI adoption and education tailored to the workflow of offices.
Unlocking the Airwaves: Spectrum Allocation and Regulation (with Thomas Hazlett)
Q: How do overlay licenses change incentives for incumbents and new entrants?
Overlay licenses align incentives by allowing new entrants to use underutilized spectrum while encouraging incumbents to relocate, often through auction-based mechanisms and negotiated compensation, thereby accelerating deployment and reducing regulatory delay.
Unlocking the Airwaves: Spectrum Allocation and Regulation (with Thomas Hazlett)
Q: What were the core problems with the early FCC approach to spectrum that you witnessed as Chief Economist?
The episode highlights that the early system suffered from rigid rules, outdated technology coupling, and political interference that slowed innovation; market-based solutions like overlay licenses and flexible-use auctions eventually provided a more dynamic path for reallocating spectrum to higher-value uses.
Moving the Economy On-Chain (with Marc Boiron and Nicoletta Kolpakov)
Q: What is the Ag layer and why is it important for cross-chain money movement?
The Ag layer provides a secure, fast, and inexpensive way to move money across different blockchains, while maintaining compliance tools to reassure banks and fintechs that transfers are trustworthy and auditable.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Explain to Shane

What is Explain to Shane about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A tech-policy show that translates complex digital systems into practical policy and business insights. Across episodes, expect deep dives into artificial intelligence, spectrum regulation, digital trust and safety, blockchain-enabled payments, cloud infrastructure, data centers, GPS resilience, drone tech, and cybersecurity, all framed by industry leaders, policymakers, and academics. Guests are typically subject-matter experts who explain how technologies work, why rules matter, and what businesses and governments should do next. A notable strength is the blend of government-affiliated researchers, industry-technology specialists, and regulatory thinkers, which helps listeners understand both the mechanics and the policy implications of m... more

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1. The Dispatch Podcast
2. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
3. The Journal.
4. The Ezra Klein Show
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Explain to Shane launched 6 years ago and published 145 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Explain to Shane?

Recent guests on Explain to Shane include:

1. Aubrey Wilson
2. Thomas Hazlett
3. David Sullivan
4. Farzaneh Badiei
5. Marc Boiron
6. Michael Greenwald
7. Lynne Kiesling
8. Steve DelBianco

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