White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Washington AI Network Hosts Inaugural TGAIFriday Lunch, Presented by Meta

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Tammy Haddad and Joelle Pineau take a group selfie with attendees of the Washington AI Network’s inaugural TGAIFriday Lunch in Washington, D.C., Friday, April 26, 2024. (Photo credit: John Harrington)

Kicking off this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend, the Washington AI Network hosted the inaugural TGAIFriday Lunch — presented by Meta — today at The House at 1229.

The Washington AI Network is a dynamic bipartisan forum that brings together diverse stakeholders from industry, government, civil society, and academia to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and responsible development and deployment of AI technologies.

In today’s keynote conversation, Joelle Pineau (Vice President of AI Research at Meta) talked with our founder Tammy Haddad on the power and potential of AI.

Tammy Haddad and Joelle Pineau record an episode of the Washington AI Network podcast at the TGAIFriday Lunch, Friday, April 26, 2024. (Photo credit: John Harrington)
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It’s Here: 2024 White House Correspondents’ Week

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Stephanie Ruhle (R) speaks onstage during the 30th Anniversary White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch on April 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Haddad Media)

It’s that time of year again! With the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner happening this weekend, Washington is gearing up for its biggest week of events – including our annual Garden Brunch this Saturday honoring military veterans and their families.

The following is a running list of events happening across D.C. this week, as reported by Politico – and remember, these are invitation-only.

(For more updates over the next few days, make sure you’re following us on social media at @whcinsider.)

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CISA Director Jen Easterly, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and UVA’s Kyle Kondik Talk AI and Election Security

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L to R: Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State; Kyle Kondik, managing editor of ‘Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball,’ and Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, at the UVA Center for Politics

In a new special episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, host Tammy Haddad moderates a conversation with two of the nation’s leading forces for safety and security in elections and how they are safeguarding against the threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in the 2024 election. The episode features:

  • Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
  • Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
  • Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball

The conversation was recorded in front of a live audience on Friday, April 5 at the 25th anniversary celebration of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and Sabato’s Crystal Ball. 

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DC Book Launch for Andreessen Horowitz’s Chris Dixon, New York Times Bestseller, ‘Read Write Own’

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Chris Dixon, author of the New York Times Bestseller “Read Write Own”

Chris Dixon, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, celebrated the DC launch of his New York Times bestselling book, Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet, exploring the power of blockchains, on Wednesday, April 10 at Cafe Riggs.

Dixon, who joined Andreessen in 2012, founded and leads a16z crypto, which invests in web3 technologies through four dedicated funds with more than $7 billion under management.

Dixon spoke to the audience of Washington influencers and policymakers about the evolution of the internet and his dream of creating a more open network that allows for greater creativity and entrepreneurship. He advocated for the power of blockchain as a positive computer movement — not the casino model of today. 

L to R: Elena Silenok, Chris Dixon, and actress Lynda Carter

Previously, he was the cofounder and CEO of two startups, SiteAdvisor and Hunch. SiteAdvisor was an internet security company that warned web users of security threats and was acquired by McAfee in 2006. Hunch was a recommendation technology company acquired by eBay in 2011.

Tech was well represented with Dave Grimaldi, President of the Blockchain Association, Amanda Russo, Crypto Council, David Ginsberg, Head of Global Comms for Meta, Teresa Carlson from General Catalyst, John Rizzo from NVIDIA and Morgan Gress Johnson from Palantir.

From politics Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Matt Klapper, Bill Knapp, Liz Johnson, Adrienne Elrod, Sabrina Singh, Sydney Harvey, Elizabeth Falcone, James Perry Adams, and Sabrina Singh.

Other notable guests included Lynda Carter, Collin McCune, Jai Ramaswamy, Brian Quintenz, Paul Cafiero, Dan Meyers, Tammy Haddad, and Anthony Polcari.

Veteran political strategist Bill Knapp and Meta’s head of global communications David Ginsberg

SCSP CEO Ylli Bajraktari Calls on U.S. to be AI Combat-Ready, Warns of Dangers from TikTok, Chinese Apps

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Ylli Bajraktari, president and CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), with Washington AI Network founder and host Tammy Haddad

In a new episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, host Tammy Haddad interviews Ylli Bajraktari, president and CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), on the critical need for the United States to maintain its leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) innovation for national security. 

The SCSP is a bipartisan, non-profit initiative founded by former Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt to identify recommendations to strengthen America’s long-term competitiveness for a future where AI and other emerging technologies reshape our national security, economy, and society.

Bajraktari – the former executive director of the U.S. government’s National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the former chief of staff to National Security Advisor LTG H.R. McMaster – shares concerns about the security implications posed by Chinese apps, particularly TikTok.

Voicing apprehension over the influence of Chinese platforms in the American digital ecosystem, Bajraktari states, “China has deployed globally a set of platforms to dominate our digital life.” He expresses particular concern about TikTok, noting its origin in a country he views as a major competitor to the United States across various domains, including politics, economics, and military competition. He questions the allowance of such platforms to operate freely within American society, strongly advocating for their ban on national security grounds.

Bajraktari highlights the need for the U.S. to revamp its institutions to counter the comprehensive competition posed by China, citing China’s outsized dominance of global 5G map and the infrastructure the Chinese built and deployed while the U.S. lagged behind. He issues a strong warning to prevent other countries from gaining similar technological dominance in the future, stressing the importance of maintaining control over critical technologies to protect both our national security interests and economic prosperity.

Bajraktari also previewed the SCSP’s upcoming AI Expo for National Competitiveness on May 7-8 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., which aims to bring together the private sector and government to foster innovation and collaboration in AI technologies. Bajraktari has called for the U.S. military to be AI combat-ready by 2025, emphasizing the significance of software supremacy and the integration of AI into military operations. The expo will feature main stage programming, exhibitions from leading AI developers and stakeholders, and roundtable conversations at the Ash Carter Exchange. Stay tuned for Washington AI Network podcast recordings from inside the AI Expo. Registration is free and open to the public. Click here to register and learn more.

‘Burn Book’ Author Kara Swisher Dishes on Elon Musk, Which Tech Company She’d Lead, And Which Actress Should Play Her at Washington AI Network ‘Ask Kara Anything’ Haippy Hour

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Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad, “Burn Book” author Kara Swisher, and General Catalyst advisor Teresa Carlson.

Kara Swisher, renowned tech journalist, podcaster, and author of the New York Times bestseller, “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story,” brought her national book tour to the House at 1229 on March 2 for a Washington AI Network “Haippy Hour” and podcast taping. The event was hosted by General Catalyst advisor Teresa Carlson and Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad.

Haddad led and moderated a conversation with Swisher for the Washington AI Network Podcast, during which she turned the tables and opened the mic for friends and members of the Washington AI Network community, including policy advocates, government officials, and industry leaders to “Ask Kara Anything.” 

When asked which tech company she would choose take over, Swisher paused and then answered, “Probably Meta … It’s the most important company … right at this moment. It doesn’t mean it’s going to continue to be, but …  they have a lot of impact. News flows over Facebook right now still. Instagram is enormous … I like Threads a lot … although it’s a low bar because Twitter’s gotten to be such a toxic waste dump.”

Of Twitter’s owner, with whom she no longer speaks, she griped: “Why do we care what Elon Musk thinks about cesareans? I had one. F*ck you. Stop talking about it. Stop telling me about big-headed children. Like, get the f*ck off my lawn.”

L to R: Meta’s David Ginsberg and his wife Ellen, Helen Milby of GlobalWIN, Jodie McLean of EDENS, and Tammy Haddad holding signed copies of “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.
Kara Swisher (left) with Elhma Tabassi (right), the CTO of the U.S. AI Safety Institute and Chief AI Adviser at NIST.

On the best way to use generative AI, Swisher said, “I use it all the time. I recommend everybody try it because … it’s in a crude form. It’s like the early internet when you used it, it was like, ‘what is it doing?’… You have to figure out what it’s used for”

On how to prevent harm around artificial intelligence, Swisher conceded that “there’s never going to be an information agency.” She pressed that there should be a “cabinet level position” addressing artificial intelligence and its impact on information.

And when asked which actress she’d like to see play her in a biopic, Swisher answered “Holly Hunter.”

Following the program, the host of “On with Kara Swisher” and “Pivot,” greeted guests and autographed copies of her new book, often signing her new tagline, “burn, baby, burn.”  

See more photos from the event HERE.

Tammy Haddad (left) moderated a Q&A between Kara Swisher (right) and audience members.

Attendees included CBS News’ Robert Costa, MSNBC’s Symone Sanders, Special Assistant to the President John McCarthy, CTO, U.S. AI Safety Institute Elham Tabassi, Varun Krovi from the Center for AI Safety Action Fund, Sen. Romney’s chief of staff Liz Johnson, Sen Warner’s chief of staff Elizabeth Falcone, Sen. Schatz chief of staff Reema Dodin, James Perry Adams from the Department of Defense, Emily Druckman from Rep. Veasey’s office, Julian Ramirez from the German Embassy, the Post’s Amanda Katz and Cat Zakrzewski, David Adler from Bizbash, Cathay Merrill from the Washingtonian, Cuneyt Dil from Axios, Equal AI CEO and NAIAC Chair Miriam Vogel, co-founders of Silverado Policy Accelerator Dmitri and Maureen Alperovitch, Amazon’s head of public policy Shannon Kellogg, Meta’s David Ginsberg, Monumental Sports’ Michelle Freeman, Helen Milby from GlobalWIN, Maryam Mujica from BookingHoldings, Carol Melton from Adeft Capital, founder of Quell Strategies Machalagh Carr, and Michelle Obama’s communications director Crystal Carson.

Jonathan Martin Headlines 2024 Election Preview Breakfast for Washington Women Technology Network

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POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin (center) with Jessica Nigro, VP of External Affairs for Lucid Motors (left), and Tammy Haddad, CEO of Haddad Media, in front of the new Lucid Air.

On Tuesday, the Washington Women Technology Network (WWTN) brought together two dozen stakeholders from government, media, and policy for a 2024 election preview with POLITICO’s senior political columnist Jonathan Martin. Jessica Nigro, Lucid Motors’ vice president of external affairs, and WWTN and Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad co-hosted the breakfast at the House at 1229. 

LtoR: Political strategist Adrienne Elrod, featured guest Jonathan Martin, co-host Jessica Nigro, Maryam Mujica of Booking Holdings, and BBC presenter Sami Somaskanda.

Martin writes in his most recent column that—in the 2024 election cycle—”cold, unchanging math is the determinative factor, not the old standbys.” This theme coursed through the breakfast as Martin shared observations from the campaign trail and South Carolina’s GOP primary, where Donald Trump beat the state’s former governor Nikki Haley by 20 points.  

Jonathan Martin (right) congratulates Deesha Dyer (center) on her upcoming new book as Crystal Carson (center left) and Kathy O’Hearn (far left) applaud.

Following the discussion, guests were treated to ride-and-drives around Dupont Circle in a pair of Lucid Motors’ award-winning EV—the Lucid Air—which can travel over 500 miles on a single charge.

Guests included Senator Mark Warner’s chief of staff, Elizabeth Falcone, British Embassy political director Senay Bulbul, YouTube’s Alexandra Veitch, Maryam Mujica from Booking Holdings, political strategiest Adrienne Elrod, president of Hook & Fasten Consulting and former White House social secretary Deesha Dyer, Michelle Obama’s communications director Crystal Carson, GlobalWIN founder Helen Milby, Washington Post chief communications office Kathy Baird; BBC Washington presenter Sumi Somaskanda; Washington Post Live executive producer Kathy O’Hearn, Shaniqua McClendon from Crooked Media, Invariant’s Kris Coratti, Nkechi Nneji from Meta, Jessica Sarhan of Bloomberg News, Lyft’s Heather Foster , Aspen Strategy Group director Niamh King, and Amanda Anderson from Block.

View photos here.

Haippy Hour Welcomes NAIAC Members to Washington

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NAIAC chair and Equal AI CEO Miriam Vogel, U.S. AI Safety Institute CTO Elham Tabassi, and Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad.

Leading experts in artificial intelligence convened in Washington this week for a meeting of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC). Following the committee’s Wednesday gathering, NAIAC chair and Equal AI CEO Miriam Vogel, Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad, and General Catalyst advisor Teresa Carlson co-hosted a Haippy Hour for NAIAC members and AI friends at the House at 1229. 

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Dmitri Alperovitch, author of “World on the Brink”; General Catalyst advisor Teresa Carlson, and Arun Gupta, author of “Venture Meets Mission.”

Vogel, Carlson, and Haddad welcomed guests and congratulated Elham Tabassi, the chief AI advisor for NIST, on her new role as chief technology officer of the U.S. AI Safety Institute. 

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The French Embassy’s Alexandre Mirlesse, NAIAC member and IBM’s chief privacy officer Christina Montgomery and NAIAC ember and Miami’s Assistant Chief of Police Armando Aguilar.

NAIAC members in attendance were Miami’s Assistant Chief of Police Armando Aguilar; NVIDIA’s Vice President and head of worldwide AI Keith Strier; Anthony Bak from Palantir; Professor Jane Bambauer of the University of Florida School of Law; Professor David Danks of UC San Diego; Professor Jennifer Eberhardt of Stanford University; Professor Jon Kleinberg of Cornell University; Professor Fred Oswald of Rice University; Reggie Townsend, vice president of data ethics at SAS; Trooper Sanders, CEO of Benefits Data Trust; Haniyeh Mahmoudian, Global AI Ethicist, DataRobot, Inc.; Benji Hutchinson, chief revenue officer, Rank One Computing; Janet Haven from the Data & Society Research Institute; Christina Montgomery, chief privacy and trust officer at IBM; Victoria Espinel, president and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance; and the EU’s tech policy advisor Deniz Houston.

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Reggie Townsend and Gaurav Pal

Guests included Senator Chuck Schumer’s policy director Jon Cardinal and AI Lead Tim Ryder; Senator Mitt Romney’s chief of staff Liz Johnson; Senator Mark Warner’s chief of staff Elizabeth Falcone; Bryan Doyle, senior advisor to Rep. Dean Phillips; Silverado Policy Accelerator’s executive chairman Dmitri Alperovitch, author of the new book “World on the Brink”; Silverado’s chair and co-founder Maureen Hinman; Tara Rigler and Hina Gir from the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP); the French Embassy’s AI lead Alexandre Mirlesse; Julian Ramirez, the digital advisor at the German Embassy; Varun Krovi from the Center for AI Safety Action Fund; SKDK’s Mariel Saez; and Arun Gupta, founder of the NobleReach Foundation and author of “Venture Meets Mission.” 

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Julian Ramirez, Anthony Bak, and Victoria Virasingh

SNL’s Colin Jost to Host 2024 WHCA Dinner

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SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Pictured: Colin Jost — (Photo by: Dana Edelson/NBC)

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced on Friday that Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost is the featured entertainer for the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, April 27 in Washington, D.C. 

“Colin Jost knows how to make Saturday nights funny, and I am thrilled Colin will be live from the nation’s capital as the headline entertainer for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” WHCA President Kelly O’Donnell, NBC News’s senior White House correspondent, said in a statement.

The annual dinner honoring journalism will be a homecoming of sorts for Jost. A one time journalist, he wrote for the Harvard Crimson and the Staten Island Advance before pursuing a career in entertainment.

With a potential presidential election rematch looming ahead, Jost is no stranger to political comedy. He has written for Saturday Night Live since 2005 and has co-anchored the show’s “Weekend Update” since 2014, collecting numerous awards along the way, including five Writers Guild Awards, two Peabody Awards and 14 Emmy nominations for his writing on SNL. 

The black-tie event is known to be a tough crowd for any comedian, tasked with entertaining a room loaded with journalists, celebrities, and lawmakers. The President and First Lady traditionally attend the dinner as well. 

This year’s annual WHCA dinner will take place at its longtime home in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton and proceeds from the night will go toward scholarships for journalism students.

About the WHCA

Founded in 1914, the White House Correspondents’ Association exists to promote excellence in journalism as well as journalism education, and to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency. We support awards for some of the best political reporting of the past year, and scholarships for young reporters who carry our hopes for vibrant journalism in the years to come. Each day, we work to ensure that the men and women who cover the White House have the ability to seek answers from powerful officials, up to and including the President. Our association comprises hundreds of members from the worlds of print, television, radio and online journalism. Their work, for outlets based in the United States and overseas, reaches a global audience. The association has been holding an annual dinner since 1921. 

Arun Gupta Calls for Younger, “Mission-Driven” Talent in Government

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In a new episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, host Tammy Haddad interviewed Arun Gupta, a veteran DC venture capitalist, and co-author of “Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society.” 

Gupta is also CEO of the NobleReach Foundation, which brings together top talent from various sectors to drive advancements in emerging technologies and scientific innovations. 

The interview touched upon critical aspects of AI policy, the need for talent infusion in government, the vast data reservoirs held by government agencies, and the transformative potential of AI in sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture.

Gupta expressed skepticism about the idea of a single federal agency overseeing AI deployment, emphasizing the necessity for AI to be integrated across all government agencies rather than centralizing responsibility. He underscored the challenge of infiltrating talent into these agencies, emphasizing the importance of bringing in younger, mission-driven individuals. Gupta argued that talent is the linchpin for effective policymaking, stating, “Having folks develop policy that don’t really understand the implications of the technology that they’re trying to regulate … has its own unintended consequences.” He believes talent “is the most important piece right now that we could be getting in government.”

Gupta acknowledged the private sector’s lead in AI technology development but emphasized the government’s unique role in tackling significant problems.

In response to President Biden’s executive order mandating AI experts in every government agency, Gupta proposed an infusion of talented, mission-driven young people just finishing school. He argued that relying solely on older, “experienced” individuals might be challenging. Gupta noted that young people are “more mission-driven.” 

“If you can show them the impact that they’re having” then the talent pool will grow, he said. 

While highlighting the government role in the development of AI, Gupta poses the question, “is it AI to optimize ads or is it AI to save lives?”  Gupta believes that “government can provide that platform to do the latter in a much more meaningful and scalable way.”

Gupta also detailed NobleReach’s initiatives, focusing on both innovation and talent. The foundation collaborates with organizations like DARPA and NSF to commercialize research for solving societal problems. On the talent side, NobleReach aims to rebuild the infrastructure by attracting first-career talent, akin to a Teach for America model, to contribute to government initiatives.

When asked about the recent shakeup at OpenAI, Gupta called it “a governance story.” 

“OpenAI started as a not-for-profit. And a not-for-profit has a different mandate. Right? And the mandate of the board was around ethical AI,” he said. “And then they created a subsidiary … And that subsidiary had a more for-profit motive. Which is fine too. And at some point, unless you create a separate board, you have conflicting goals …. So I don’t think anything, anyone was actually wrong in this process.”