What role should government, regulation, and society play in the next chapter of Big Tech and AI.

Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter, Gary Rivlin.

Gary has been writing about technology since the mid-1990s and the rise of the internet. He is the author of AI Valley and 9 previous books, including Saving Main Street and Katrina: After the Flood. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Fortune, GQ, and Wired, among other publications. He is a two-time Gerald Loeb Award winner and former reporter for the New York Times. He lives in New York with his wife, theater director Daisy Walker, and two sons.

Gary sits down with Geoff to discuss the unchecked power of Big Tech and the evolving role of AI as a political force. From the myth of the benevolent tech founder to the real-world implications of surveillance, misinformation, and election interference, he discusses the dangers of unregulated tech influence on policy and the urgent need for greater transparency, ethical responsibility, and accountability in emerging technologies. This conversation highlights the role of venture capital in fueling today’s tech giants, what history tells us about the future of digital disruption, and whether regulation can truly govern AI and platform power.

In this episode:

00:00 Intro

02:45 The early promise of Silicon Valley

06:30 What changed in tech: From innovation to power

10:55 The role of venture capital in shaping Big Tech

15:40 Tech disruption vs. systemic control

20:15 The shift from public good to private gain

24:50 How Big Tech wields power over democracy

29:30 Can AI be regulated in time?

33:45 Lessons from tech history

38:20 Government’s role in tech oversight

43:05 Gary’s thoughts on tech accountability

47:30 Future risks of an unchecked tech industry

51:10 Hope for the next generation of innovators

55:00 Tech is at the center of politics

58:00 What should change?

1:09:00 Journalists using AI are more powerful

Connect with Gary:

Website: https://garyrivlin.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-rivlin/

Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/

Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson