White House Correspondents Insider

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

Uber, X and The Free Press Bring Glamour and Star Power with ‘Inauguration Eve’ Bash

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Dierks Bentley performs during the ‘Inauguration Eve’ Bash sponsored by Uber, X and the Free Press on January 19th, 2025 at the Riggs Hotel in Downtown Washington, DC.

Washington, D.C. – January 19th 2025 – The historic Riggs Hotel in Downtown Washington set the stage for “Inauguration Eve,” an exclusive soirée hosted by Uber, X, and The Free Press. As one of the premier events among the capital’s bustling inauguration season, the gathering attracted a stellar lineup of VIPs – blending Washington’s seasoned elite with fresh faces. The evening celebrated the eve of the nation’s 60th presidential inauguration with a mix of elegance, exclusivity, and high energy.

Despite the frigid January temperatures, the atmosphere inside was electric. Country music star Dierks Bentley captivated the crowd with a performance of his greatest hits, providing a vibrant soundtrack for the evening. The Riggs Hotel’s opulent setting played host to a dynamic mix of political leaders, tech innovators, and cultural icons, all enjoying gourmet cuisine and signature cocktails.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Ambassador-designate to Sweeden Christine Toretti and Chief of Staff to Sen. Dave McCormick Mark Isakowitz
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (foreground) with Conor McGregor posing for photos with fans

The evening’s program included remarks from The Free Press Founder Bari Weiss, X CEO Linda Yaccarino, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Their speeches emphasized themes of progress, innovation, and unity during this pivotal moment in the nation’s history. Moments later, cheers rang out through the venue as MMA superstar Conor McGregor made his way through the crowd to pose for photos and mingle with the partygoers.

Other notable guests included: Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Peter Thiel, Sergey Brin, Christine Toretti, Kimbal Musk, Bret Baier, Amy Chua, Lex Fridman, Dana Bash, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Douglas Murray, Mark Isakowitz, Linda Yaccarino, Conor McGregor, Francis Suarez, Mehmet Oz, Cesar Conde, Joanna Coles, James Bennet, Shawn McCreesh, Alex Tompson, Max Tani, Michael Grimes, Keith Rabois, Jacob Helberg, Coleman Hughes, Lulu Cheng Meservey and Rikki Schlott.

Navigating Global AI Policy from Paris: UNESCO U.S. Ambassador Courtney O’Donnell and OECD U.S. Ambassador Sean Patrick Maloney on AI, Equity, and Global Collaboration

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In the latest episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, Courtney O’Donnell, U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO, and Sean Patrick Maloney, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), joined host Tammy Haddad to discuss the pivotal role the United States is playing in leveraging AI to advance education, health, climate action, and international cooperation. The interview was recorded at the shared offices of the U.S. missions to the OECD and to UNESCO offices in Paris, France on December 5.

Through their unique roles at UNESCO and OECD, Ambassadors O’Donnell and Maloney are shaping global policies that prioritize ethical governance, inclusivity, and sustainability. During the conversation, they shared insights into how American leadership is promoting human rights, sustainability, and equitable access to innovation through international cooperation.

“Many people know UNESCO for the work around the world to save and protect unique cultural heritage sites through their World Heritage program, but the reach, as you think about science, education, and culture, is incredibly vast. Artificial intelligence is no doubt impacting all of them,” explained O’Donnell. “What really is at the core of the US presence at UNESCO is ensuring that these technologies are based around a human-centered, human-rights-based approach. And I know very well the work of the 2023 Presidential executive order around AI as safe, trustworthy, and how we make sure that we bring those ideals and those values to this forum.”

Building off O’Donnell’s point on U.S. engagement in global AI governance, Maloney broke down OECD’s unique role in convening like-minded nations, “the only way to avoid the downsides of AI, which are real, is to enshrine your values in the systems that AI is built on. And what we are able to do on data and on other issues at OECD is get together with the countries who really share our values and to work on issues of inclusivity that open up the opportunities of AI globally, but that also have deeply rooted within them the values of human rights and of free expression and of obviously just accuracy, historical accuracy.”

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. And that is very true in AI,” added Maloney. 

Maloney discussed the ongoing efforts to ensure AI benefits are accessible worldwide, “the United States is very focused on both spreading the benefits of AI but also making sure that it is, as Courtney points out, safe and reliable. The Secretary of State recently traveled to New York and made an announcement at the General Assembly, which is just the latest effort…a hundred million dollars commitment…to support the computing that’s required for effective AI to more countries, to open up some of the models to have more local context and language because, of course, the data has to be inclusive of people’s different languages, different cultures, different nuances and sensitivities.”

The discussion also touched on AI’s potential to drive advancements in sustainability and its critical role in supporting climate goals through enhanced modeling, resource management, and innovative energy solutions. 

Maloney openly addressed the critical need for sustainable energy solutions to support AI applications, “We can’t lose sight of our energy transition goals, we can’t lose sight of the climate crisis. And that’s why the energy conversation is inextricably linked to the AI conversation because…to do the type of computing required here on these large models requires enormous amounts of energy.” 

O’Donnell detailed how UNESCO is leveraging AI in environmental science, “part of UNESCO is the International Oceanographic Committee and the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program, the IHP, where we see it’s using AI to monitor water and resources. So some of the greatest science and climate-based initiatives that have been core to UNESCO’s work and have involvement of great American universities and scientists are now implementing AI into their ongoing work.”

Maloney also highlighted the broader implications of AI for climate policy,  stating, “We’ve done enormously important work on this in the United States in the last few years, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and other measures where the Biden administration has really led on climate. And I think what AI opens up is the possibility that you can just accelerate these efforts through better modeling, through better technologies, through better identifying ways in which you can decarbonize while you maintain robust economic growth, which is the key.”

In addition to AI’s potential in climate solutions, Maloney also touched on the transformative potential of AI in global health. “I’ve recently learned about a program in India where, using AI tools, you can cough basically next to your phone and by the sound of your cough, the AI program can diagnose tuberculosis. They’ve already had hundreds of millions of people participate in this program to eradicate that disease in India. So it’s just one example of how exciting these tools are and the incredible diagnostic possibilities.”

On the topic of the potential dangers of AI, O’Donnell and Maloney acknowledged the concerns surrounding AI’s rapid development and its potential misuse. They stressed that, while the technology holds incredible promise, the risks of unchecked development and unintended consequences cannot be ignored. They also highlighted the importance of global cooperation and intentional governance to mitigate these challenges while fostering the benefits of AI. 

“If you talk to technologists, and you have a high-level conversation about AI, the fears you typically hear about are the science fiction movie of AI taking over the world or of automated systems doing things that humans can’t stop. And those concerns are, believe it or not, actually real, and we have to be careful,” warned Maloney.

O’Donnell then turned the conversation towards the importance of integrating AI into educational frameworks, and detailed how UNESCO has taken a leading role in fostering digital literacy across various audiences.“At UNESCO, we see that a lot on the education side in terms of how are we thinking about digital literacy, digital learning, both for teachers, for parents, for students to be smarter about sources and to really question that. And so how does that manifest itself in different curricula? How do you ensure textbooks are inclusive? How do you ensure they’re credible?”

O’Donnell also emphasized the importance of preparing educators and learners to navigate the digital landscape responsibly.

Anne Bouverot Interview “Global Ecosystem of AI Coming Together”

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In an exclusive episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, Anne Bouverot, France’s Special Envoy for Artificial Intelligence (AI), sat down with Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad at STATION F in Paris to unveil her vision for the highly anticipated Paris AI Action Summit, set to take place this February. Hosted at the iconic Grand Palais and the world-renowned STATION F, the summit aims to unite over 95 heads of state, global tech leaders, researchers, and civil society to address the transformative opportunities and challenges posed by AI. In the interview, Bouverot detailed the summit’s agenda for fostering international collaboration, grounding discussions in scientific consensus, and addressing pressing issues like climate change, workforce transformation, and inclusivity in AI development. 

Bouverot joined Haddad on the occasion of the No AI Without Women conference hosted at the French Presidency at the Elysée Palace,  on behalf of the European Network for Women in Leadership (WIL Europe)) and the think tank La Villa Numeris on December 5th part of the official “Road to the AI Action Summit” series of events.

Bouverot on the goals of the AI Action Summit: “We really have this global ecosystem of AI coming together to discuss what we collectively want AI to be. There are risks and there are opportunities, and that’s why we’re calling it an action summit. We want to mitigate the risks. We want to lean into the opportunities and focus on the commons of AI, the things that we want to build together.”

Bouverot on the AI Action Summit agenda: “We’re going to try and show at the summit, concrete applications of AI in real life, in particular, health, education, climate, and climate is another area where we’ve seen a big change. These huge energy demands, this race to place long-term contracts, to have enough energy for enough data centers, that race to the bigger is better. That’s also something that we’ve seen.” 

She also anticipates that many of the women leaders in AI from around the globe will be featured in the summit, including Joelle Pineau at Meta, Joëlle Barral at Google, Guillemette Picard at Ubisoft, Fei-Fei Li at Stanford, Sara Hooker at Cohere, Cina Lawson in Togo, Paula Ingabire in Rwanda, Josephine Teo in Singapore, and Lucilla Sioli for the AI office in Europe.

Bouverot on women innovators: “There is no AI without women…We really want to put a focus for the AI Action Summit on getting to interact with all these great women, getting to know more of them…and ensuring AI is not built without women.”

Bouverot on Startups’ Role in AI Development: “There will be lots of startups from all around the world. There’s great startups…There’s lots of them. So the role of large companies and small companies is very important. The role of governments is important, and they cannot alone guide this, because really it’s linked to research, and the role of research is really important, and the role of civil society. So it’s only by bringing everyone together that you can start seeing the road and the avenues for important things and important markers for the summit.”

Bouverot on Collaboration Amidst Global AI Rivalries: “While countries and companies are in competition, and clearly, we need to acknowledge that. And clearly, the US has started this race in the lead, very clearly. Clearly, China is doing a lot of things. Clearly, France and Europe are doing a number of things in other countries, and this competition will continue. That’s really a fact. But also, we’re going to try and still, despite the competition, focus on the things that people will still want to agree on. Because I think you can compete, but also want to do things that are either useful to everyone or beneficial for people in societies and the planet.”

In addition, Bouverot discussed the impact of AI on climate, the global workforce and education. 

Bouverot on AI’s Dual Role in Tackling Climate Change: “There’s, of course, the great benefit that AI can bring to climate. For example, optimizing water consumption or energy consumption, or designing better batteries to store renewable energy, or helping with more accurate weather forecasts for disasters, typhoons, earthquakes, etc. And that’s one of the areas of AI and climate, which we will talk about. And there’s also the other side, which is the huge demand for almost limitless amounts of energy, with potential carbon impact, with water consumption, rare materials.”

Bouverot on the Future of Jobs in an AI-Driven World: “Yes, some jobs will disappear. I mean, for example, dubbing and subtitles, that’s something that AI can do very well. But it’s also creating new jobs. I mean, data scientists, cybersecurity experts, prompt engineers, that’s a new job that didn’t exist a year ago. And then there’s the wide middle, I would say, 70-80% of jobs that are changing. And so you need to train, to reskill, to reorganize work, to discuss with the unions. You need to do a lot of work, and everyone has questions around that.”

Bouverot on AI and education: “You can alleviate some of the administrative burden that teachers have, and they have a lot of it. You can personalize the way you help students and pupils learn. You can help them understand the tools, the potential negative effects and positive effects, and you also need to reassure the parents and everyone that this is being done in a good way. So helping teachers, helping parents, helping students is very important.”

Listen to the full interview HERE and watch it on video HERE

Author Christopher Kirchhoff, co-founder of the Pentagon’s Tech Innovation Unit, Advice for the Trump National Security Team to Deter Global Threats 

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Christopher Kirchhoff, Air Force One

Christopher Kirchhoff, tech adviser to multiple presidents, on Air Force One

Christopher Kirchhoff is co-author of “Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War” takes readers inside the AI race for national security and private industry’s critical role. As the co-founder of the Defense Innovation Unit with his co-author Raj Shah, he created the Pentagon’s first permanent advanced tech outpost based in Silicon Valley and is assisting the current Department of Defense on technology efforts. In a new interview with host Tammy Haddad on the Washington AI Network Podcast, he gives a compelling case for the urgency to invest in next-generation technology, the threats from China, Russia and North Korea and lays out how the Trump Administration can drive technological advancement forward to meet a new set of global threats. 

“The greater danger is not that AI itself will pose a danger to us, but that we won’t experiment with AI in national security applications,” Kirchhoff said. He described how hesitancy to embrace experimentation could leave the U.S. vulnerable to adversaries who are accelerating their technological capabilities.

Kirchhoff pointed to the war in Ukraine as a vivid example of how modern warfare is evolving. “We gave Ukraine 31 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, the most advanced battle tank in the world. And in short order, in the last few months, the Russians have figured out how to engineer kamikaze drones. And today, more than half of those M1A1 tanks have been taken off the battlefield by inexpensive Russian drone strikes,” he explained. This, Kirchhoff argued, highlights the growing importance of adaptability and innovation in modern defense strategies. “That tells a new incoming administration that if you are running a military that’s built with a lot of tanks, you now are behind the power curve and you need to find new ways of experimenting with new weapons platforms to be able to compete.”

Shortlisted for the 2024 Financial Times Business Book of the Year

When asked about the Pentagon’s efforts to address these challenges and the urgency of now, Kirchoff replied saying, “we don’t have, unfortunately, 10 years to figure out how to master and deploy this new set of technology. Our adversaries are already hard at work, as we can see in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in the Red Sea, in China, and so we really have got to go fast and bring the best parts of these technology ecosystems together,” Kirchhoff said. He emphasized the need for urgency, explaining that initiatives like Replicator are essential for staying ahead of global competitors.

Kirchhoff also discussed the role of private-sector leaders like Elon Musk in advancing defense innovation. “Elon would like it if we called him the X factor in the incumbent administration, and he really is,” Kirchhoff said. He praised Musk’s contributions to autonomous systems and satellite networks, particularly their impact on conflicts like Ukraine. However, Kirchhoff cautioned against over-reliance on private actors. “The Department of Defense is not a private company. You can’t just fire three-fourths of the people that are there and start over. You have to work within the existing system,” he noted.

When asked about the changing defense landscape, Kirchhoff described the current moment as an inflection point. “We’re in a remarkable moment that its many parts collectively constitute an emergency because those collective parts tell us that our existing force structure, our existing military technologies are not able to defend powerfully and muscularly against these new threats, that it’s time to change the technology and the operating concepts that we’re using to fight,” he said.

When asked about the cultural shifts required to embrace new technologies, Kirchhoff called for a bold rethinking of how defense institutions operate. “The government model is that you’re not willing to pay technologists market rate, you’re not going to get any of the good technologists working in the government,” argued Kirchoff. “Now, if you’re a taxpayer, I would want a really great set of technologists working in the government, helping the government figure out which technology to buy. And that problem is still there. We’re still at a moment in the middle of this artificial intelligence revolution where not at a single department or agency of the government can actually afford to hire an AI engineer at market rate.”

Closing the conversation, Kirchhoff delivered a clear call to action: “We’re a long way, I think, from having to worry about AI posing that level of threat. So the greater danger is not that AI itself will pose a danger to us, but that we won’t experiment with AI in national security applications. The AI safety community in their enthusiasm to make things perfectly safe I think have actually prevented an experimentation with the national security community that would’ve happened earlier,” he said. 

I think the biggest hurdle that we face is having the right agenda for technology modernization, but having the wrong kind of politics to see it through, in the sense that we’re about to embark upon quite the national squabble on a lot of political fronts. And the challenge is in that kind of moment, that kind of political moment, whether you can actually get Congress to move a reform agenda through, or whether there’s going to be no bandwidth or serious reform at a moment of real political wrangling.

For Kirchhoff, collaboration across the public and private sectors is critical to meeting the challenges of the 21st century. “I think whoever begins to helm the Department of Defense in this new administration should work very closely and cooperatively with all the frontier labs to put those models to work and see where they can perform a really useful function and to make sure they’re deployed in contexts that are safe and not deployed in contexts that those models can’t support, that they’re not ready for,” he concluded.

Lafayette 148 New York Hosts Holiday Shop To Support The American University’s Women & Politics Institute Featuring Women Senate Chiefs

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L to R: Keenan Austin Reed, Senay Bulbul, U.K. Ambassador Karen Pierce

Lafayette 148 New York at Tysons Galleria was the backdrop for an elegant fundraising cocktail reception in support of American University’s Women & Politics Institute and their WeLead campaign training program. The event was hosted by Anita McBride, director of the American University’s First Ladies Initiative, Betsy Fischer Martin, executive director of American University’s Women & Politics Institute, and Tammy Haddad, CEO of Haddad Media and founder of the Washington AI Network.

The evening brought together influential female leaders, advocates, and supporters to celebrate women’s empowerment in politics and to champion the Institute’s ongoing efforts to close the gender gap in political leadership.

Elizabeth Falcone speaks during the panel discussion alongside Liz Johnson and Reema Dodin

The bipartisan event featured a lively panel discussion with four female Senate chiefs –  Lisa Goeas, chief of staff to Sen. Joni Ernst, Elizabeth Falcone, chief of staff to Sen. Mark Warner, Reema Dodin, chief of staff to Sen. Brian Schatz and Liz Johnson, Chief of Staff to Sen. Mitt Romney. They offered insights into their careers, shared challenges, and the strides being made toward gender equity in government. They further highlighted the importance of mentorship and resilience in shaping a successful career in politics, while emphasizing the critical role that women play in the decision-making process that helps shape important policy and legislation. The event served as a powerful reminder of the progress made and the ongoing work still needed to amplify women’s voices within the space. 

Anita McBride poses with her new book, First Ladies Make History, a children’s book she co-authored with her daughter Giovanna
Rep. Debbie Dingell and Boeing’s Nicole Nason
Jane Hall, Reema Dodin and Alexandra Veitch
Helen Milby, Maria Dakolias, Tara Rigler and Rama Elluru
Paige Hopkins and Addie Adeniji
Ali Rogin, Antonia Ferrier and Liz Johnson

Notable attendees included:  UK Ambassador Karen Pierce, Rep. Debbie Dingell, Alexandra Veitch, Helen Milby, Tara Rigler, Lisa Allen, Susan Fox, Keenan Austin Reed, Nicoletta Giordani, Niamh King, Senay Bulbul, Rama Elluru, Jane Adams, Addie Adeniji, Paige Hopkins, Narges Zamani, Susan Davis, LaToya Foster, Veronica Daigle, Virginia Coyne, Robin Goldman, Cat Zakrzewski, Debby Kernan, Ali Rogin, Jane Hall, Nicole Nason, Anina Belle Giannini, Maria Dakolias, Julie Russell, and Joan McEntee

Washington Speakers Bureau Hosts Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to Launch “On Leadership” and Highlight Global Change

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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 24: (L-R) Sanna Marin, The Right Honourable Tony Blair, Thomas Friedman and Ryan Heil attend the book launch for “On Leadership” and celebration of the work of The Tony Blair Institute For Global Change at St. Regis Hotel on October 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Washington Speakers Bureau)

The Washington Speakers Bureau (WSB) hosted a reception on October 24 at the St. Regis in Washington, DC, celebrating the release of On Leadership, the new book by the Right Honourable Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom. The event coincided with the World Bank and IMF meetings, gathering dignitaries and thought leaders to discuss leadership and global change.

Ryan Heil, president of WSB, opened the evening, welcoming Prime Minister Blair and other distinguished guests, including former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and World Bank President Ajay Banga. Sanna Marin spoke about her work with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, highlighting the organization’s expansion with a new regional office in Washington, DC, and its commitment to supporting global leaders with strategic guidance on governance, security, and technology.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 24: Ajay Banga speaks onstage during the book launch for The Right Honourable Tony Blair’s “Tony Blair, On Leadership” and celebration of the work of The Tony Blair Institute For Global Change at St. Regis Hotel on October 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Washington Speakers Bureau)

Ajay Banga commended Blair’s contributions to global leadership, emphasizing that On Leadership provides a roadmap for effective governance in a rapidly changing world. The main event of the evening featured New York Times columnist Tom Friedman in a conversation with Blair, delving into the complexities of modern leadership, the role of technology like AI, and the challenges facing democracies today.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 24: (L-R) The Right Honourable Tony Blair and Thomas Friedman speak onstage during the book launch for “On Leadership” and celebration of the work of The Tony Blair Institute For Global Change at St. Regis Hotel on October 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Washington Speakers Bureau)

In a wide-ranging discussion, Blair and Friedman explored pressing issues from the role of AI in governance to the evolving geopolitical landscape. Blair’s insights underscored the importance of clarity, resilience, and adaptability in leadership—a theme echoed throughout the evening, making the reception both a celebration of Blair’s new book and a thought-provoking gathering on the future of global governance.

Guests included UK Ambassador Karen Pierce, Jose Andres, Bob Barnett, David Miliband, David Milstone, Harry Rhoads, Barbara Humpton, Michael Chertoff, Stewart McLaurin, Arun Gupta, Luxembourg Ambassador Nicole Bintner, Didem Nisanci, Melanne Verveer, Macedonian Ambassador Zoran Popov, Slovenian Ambassador Iztok Mirosic, Jason Furman, Anita McBride, Mark Ein, Teresa Carlson, Bruce Andrews, Pete Selfridge, Nick Jordan, John Rizzo, Steven Anderson, Lane Dilg, Ed Luce, Niamh King, Virginia Boney, Amy Ricchetti, John McCarthy, Chris Russo, Anthony Polcari (Tony P), Justin Cooper, Sumi Somaskanda, and Jon Cardinal.

Anthony Polcari (Tony P) teaches TRH Tony Blair a dance
BBC chief anchor Sumi Somaskanda with former Finnish PM Sanna Marin
White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin
Tammy Haddad and British Ambassador Karen Pierce
Philip Verveer, Michael Chertoff, Melanne Verveer, and Luxembourg Ambassador Nicole Bintner
NobleReach CEO Arun Gupta
Financial Times columnist Ed Luce and Politico Global Playbook author Suzanne Lynch
José Andrés and TRH Tony Blair
Tammy Haddad, Anthony Polcari, and José Andrés

Dog Tag Bakery Launches the ‘Do-nie’: A Decadent Donut-Brownie Treat; DC Influencer Tony P Named Do-nie Ambassador

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Tony P helps Dog Tag Bakery celebrate the launch of the Do-nie on October 25, 2024.

Dog Tag Bakery in Georgetown, a bakery and fellowship program that empowers veterans, spouses and caregivers, unveiled its latest culinary innovation—the “Do-nie”—at a breakfast event on October 25. The treat, a blend of a donut and a brownie, adds a decadent twist to the bakery’s offerings and symbolizes the creativity fostered within the Dog Tag community. The Do-nie was created for Dog Tag by Dominique Ansel, the famed pastry chef known for inventing the Cronut.

Chef Taylor McCollough and Tony P decorate Do-nies.

The event featured a live demonstration by Dog Tag’s head chef Taylor McCullough and DC celebrity and social media influencer Tony P, who was named the bakery’s first Do-nie Ambassador. Together, they guided guests in decorating their own Do-nies. Attendees included Dog Tag fellows, alumni, staff, board members, supporters and journalists.

Dog Tag CEO Meghan Oglivie and alumnus Nnana Obioha speak at the breakfast.

Meghan Ogilvie, CEO of Dog Tag Inc., opened the event by expressing gratitude to the community. “The Do-nie launch is more than just a celebration of a delicious new dessert—it represents the ingenuity, passion, and dedication of the military families we serve,” she said. 

Karen Knutson, vice president of government affairs at Chevron, spoke of her company’s support for Dog Tag’s mission. “We are thrilled to be a sponsor. I really love the work that Dog Tag does in support of veterans, their spouses, their caregivers, and frankly, the community in which they operate,” she remarked.

Dog Tag board members Dr. Sharon Bannister and Tammy Haddad with Chevron vice president Karen Knutson

Dog Tag alumnus Nnana Obioha shared his personal journey and the impact of the fellowship program. “Dog Tag was huge for me. Anytime I meet someone interested in Dog Tag, I highlight that it’s the gift that keeps on giving,” he said. “The network that Dog Tag brings you into is so vast, so impactful, so beneficial.”

Hillary Richonne, Meghan Oglivie and Linwood Ham
Karen Knutson and Tony P
Decorating the Do-nie
Hillary Richonne, Meghan Oglivie and Brie Jackson

Tony P, embracing his new role as Do-nie Ambassador, brought energy and humor to the demonstration. “I’m surprised at how well these turned out!” he joked while decorating alongside Chef Taylor. His involvement aims to raise awareness of Dog Tag’s mission and the unique offerings at the bakery.

The bakery serves as a “living business school,” for veterans, family members and caretakers. Fellows earn a business certificate from Georgetown University or Loyola University Chicago while gaining hands-on experience.

The Do-nie is now available for purchase at Dog Tag Bakery, both individually and in gift boxes—a perfect treat for the upcoming holiday season. Proceeds support the bakery’s ongoing mission to empower veterans and their families.

For more information or to place an order, visit Dog Tag Bakery’s website.

Legendary Tech Leaders Ted Leonsis and Grant Verstandig Discuss Healthcare in the Age of AI

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L to R: Red Cell Partners CEO Grant Verstandig, Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad, and Ted Leonsis, founding partner at Revolution Growth and founder & CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, October 9, 2024, Washington, D.C.

On the latest episode of the Washington AI Network podcast, host Tammy Haddad is joined by Ted Leonsis, founding partner at Revolution Growth and founder and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and Grant Verstandig, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Red Cell Partners and co-founder and executive chairman of Zephyr AI.

In a wide-ranging discussion at The House at 1229, the group explored how AI is transforming patient care and outcomes by analyzing data, identifying patterns, and personalizing treatment plans. When asked about what he was wearing for the occasion, Leonsis said: “I went to ChatGPT today, and I said, ‘I’m giving a speech in downtown D.C., with Grant in AI. There’ll be people from Meta. How should I dress?’” The result was an outfit much like Verstandig’s. 

Both guests discussed AI capabilities for maximizing pharmaceutical R&D and revolutionizing the future of healthcare. 

Verstandig explained how companies are using AI to identify overlooked potential in existing drugs: “We might be using a drug that is wonderfully safe but wasn’t stunningly efficacious until we added that ingredient. And that’s where really we together are trying to shift the promise … into practice for precision medicine.” 

“The drug business is not an easy to manage business,” said Leonsis. “And the regulatory environment on top of it is really, really difficult…We both think there’s a lot of drugs that didn’t make it through FDA or are lying dormant, they never reached their potential. Now, with AI, you can go through, comb through a lot of different iterations and if you…added this ingredient you worked with this treatment, it could pass FDA or solve this other problem’.”

“A big part of what we’re doing …  is using our AI to go and seek out, think of it as the key signal that then the … AI will seek in this sea of data. And so now you have all this data plus the … data of all these patients in the wild, plus this next generation DNA sequencing in the blood,” explained Verstandig. “And so if you take those three sort of tectonic plates together, those massive shifts, the innovation that creates out of that is you have new drugs that could literally be incredible novel cures… We might be using a drug that is wonderfully safe but wasn’t stunningly efficacious until we added that ingredient. And that’s where really we together are trying to shift the promise and it’s been a promise because it hasn’t been delivered yet into practice for precision medicine.”

Ted Leonsis snaps a photo of Meta’s Nkechi Nneji while trying on her Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

Verstandig on the future of pharmaceuticals: “The reason why the pharmaceutical companies are most interested, they have a lot of data.…You could take a blood test and Tempus could see if there’s DNA from your tumor that has been shed and is existing somewhere in your blood. And what Tempus is able to do is with their tests say this is the amount of circulating tumor DNA and what they’re doing, which is incredible, which is why all these companies in the pharmaceutical space are so interested in Tempus.”

Leonsis spoke further on ethics and healthcare: “My grandchildren are going to live to be 110 years old…Well, there are treatments and medicines and new medicines that we’ll find that will be able to extend your life even further. But the quality of life will then come into play. And so these are really, really big important issues that we will have to wrestle with as a society. ”

When asked about Global competitiveness and the AI race with China, Leonsis said “We might be the most powerful country right now, but when we’re talking about AI and scale, why do you think China has embraced this?…China’s thrilled that AI is on the horizon because they think, oh, this is something we can get bigger, faster, and better. And they’re not shy about control…”

“We need younger Washington,” said Leonsis. “We need people that become evangelists, if you will, for AI, but with the warnings…DC really has a lot of power to make this blossom in the right way or to stop it.”

Verstandig added: “We all have to remember that China is a fundamental economic competitor and great power competitor to us. We never were worried about the economic model of the Soviet Union breaking capitalism. But there’s a model where China’s model with AI is fundamentally different in its ability to compete than what the open capitalist model is. And with BRICS and a number of things they’re doing to Ted’s point, we have the opportunity for AI to blossom. Or if we stifle it, it’s not going to go away like nuclear did. Somebody else will have that power and wield it, and we have to make sure the next hundred years continue as the next great American century, and that’ll come back to AI.”

Leonsis also linked the hesitancy for AI innovation with a history of fear around nuclear innovation. “Nuclear power was demonized…But now nuclear power, everyone goes, it’s clean, it’s safe, it gets rid of oil, all the things that we’re talking about, but we lost 30 years of development,” he explained. “GE was the largest manufacturer of nuclear power plants, and 30 years ago, they shut down that operation. It became a below the line endeavor. They said, ‘This is poison to our business and Wall Street.’ Why? Because the media said, ‘This is a really bad thing.’ Now, in hindsight, that was a really bad call. And we need nuclear power as a part of the tapestry of all of the ways that we’re going to generate energy for the 8 billion people.”

Listen to the full episode on Audioboom, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Washington AI Network and SeedAI Host “HAippy Hour” Coinciding with the NIST AI Symposium at George Washington University

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Elham Tabassi, Chief AI Advisor and Associate Director for Emerging Technologies at Information Technology Laboratory, NIST, and Austin Carson, Founder and CEO, SeedAI, address the crowd on September 24th at the House at 1229 in Washington, DC

The Washington AI Network, in collaboration with SeedAI, hosted an AI-themed HAippy hour on the evening of September 24, 2024 at the House at 1229 in Washington, DC. The event took place amidst the backdrop of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI Symposium which drew a distinguished crowd of experts, policymakers, and industry leaders in artificial intelligence to the Nation’s Capital from all around the country.

Elham Tabassi, Tammy Haddad, and Austin Carson

The HAippy Hour event brought together industry experts, government officials, AI enthusiasts and media professionals for an evening of insightful discussions on the latest advancements in artificial intelligence. The evening was filled with meaningful conversations surrounding AI ethics, innovation, and policy, all aligning with the broader themes of the NIST AI Symposium happening that week in the city.

Rachel Wolbers, Jay Cho, and Ajit Jillavenkatesa

Attendees enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the valuable opportunity to connect with their peers and counterparts in a collaborative environment, reinforcing Washington, D.C.’s growing role as a hub for AI policy and innovation.

Austin Carson, Josh New, and Chloe Autio

Other notable attendees included: Helen Toner, Durga Malladi, Nate Tibbits, Andres Castrillon, Nkechi Nneji, Jidenna, Jesse Dunietz, Joel Gardner, Courtney Rozen, Oliver Stephenson, Chris Russo, Tim Ryder, Daniella Cheslow, Jason Liang, Lee Tiedrich, Rebecca Weiss, Dera Eneh-Ortiz, A.J. Bhadelia, Jordan Klavans, Josh Hone, Bethany Abbate, Andre Barbe, Tizzy Brown, Courtney Lang, Andres Castrillon, Frank Justice, Luca Consalvi, Lilia Stone, Hamza Tariq Chaudhry, Connie Hsueh, Kimberly Adams, Michael Clauser, Melissa Hopkins, Martin Stanley, Miranda Bogen, Tom Giancola, Abhishek Balakrishnan, Eric Masanet, Michael Hauck, Tim O’Brien, Rohit Israni, Anastassia Kornilova and Charles Yates.

Exclusive Interview: General Catalyst CEO Hemant Taneja and General Catalyst Institute President Teresa Carlson

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On the latest episode of the Washington AI Network podcast, host Tammy Haddad is joined by General Catalyst CEO Hemant Taneja and General Catalyst Institute President Teresa Carlson at the House at 1229 as the venture capital firm launches the General Catalyst Institute to shape global AI policy and drive transformative innovation. Taneja and Carlson shared how General Catalyst and the GCI will help governments create capability around AI, create training and education tools for founders, engage policymakers to inform a thoughtful regulatory approach, and invest in American innovation for U.S. defense and national security.

L to R: Teresa Carlson, president of the new General Catalyst Institute, Tammy Haddad, founder of the Washington AI Network, and Hemant Taneja, CEO of General Catalyst at the Washington AI Network, September 18, 2024, Washington, D.C.

Taneja on how AI is changing business around the world: “As founders, we do tell them to think about the fact that there are these consequences to what they’re building … And that’s part of why we created the General Catalyst Institute. Let’s go work with those governments to help them create their own capabilities around AI so they can uplift their people…”

Hemant Taneja, CEO of General Catalyst, with Teresa Carlson, president of the new General Catalyst Institute at the Washington AI Network

Carlson on the importance of policy: “You can deploy capital in a really amazing way. You can invest in the very best technological innovation that’s out there… but guess what? If you don’t have public policies that help shape that in the right way, it doesn’t become a true reality.”

Carlson on the importance of partnerships: “I believe in partnerships. GC believes in partnerships…We want to listen, we want to learn, we want to advocate, we want to educate … We want to bring in lots of startup tech so they can see these founders. We want to show them, we want to tell them, we want to bring solutions to the table. And for us, it’s not about what’s going wrong and what can’t be done, it’s about what can be done.” 

Carlson on pushing for thoughtful regulation: “We’ll work proactively with [government], and we’ll push on areas that we believe will drive transformative innovation but not hurt these companies… If you overregulate, then a lot of these startups, they can’t afford that. And if every state starts regulating and every country has a totally different approach, you are gradually stomping out the innovation… And GC’s one of the best companies in the world to deploy the capital.” 

“If you don’t regulate, you actually then go back. Because that history tells us, and I know a lot of you all saw this in cloud with facial recognition…. The tech companies were coming out and all of a sudden government was like, ‘Whoa, slow down.’ So then I was at Amazon at the time, we had to stop a lot and go back to government and say, ‘Will you help us please create the right models and standards for this?’ So I actually think sometimes going a little bit slower to go faster is a good thing because if you don’t engage government, and that’s I think part of our philosophy with the Institute, let’s engage government early and actually educate them on, ‘look, light touch regulation is good, over-regulation stomps out innovation.’”

Teresa Carlson (center) discusses the launch of the General Catalyst Institute with GC CEO Hemant Taneja (left) as moderator Tammy Haddad looks on.

Taneja on what General Catalyst tells its founders about the future of AI regulation: “This is peak ambiguity. If you think about it, the geopolitics, how the global trade is changing, the re-globalization going on, and then you’ve got this massive tectonic shift in terms of technology and AI. None of us really know what the world’s going to look like in the future. In that setting, I think you sort of go back to your core values when you think about navigating that ambiguity with a true north. And for us it is, we often call it inclusive capitalism. How do you think about sustainability? How do you think about bringing everybody along? And hence the word global resilience.” 

Taneja on engaging with policymakers: “Our goal is make them more effective, because the technology industry has not been that sophisticated about engaging with policy. The conventional wisdom is if policymakers are paying attention to it, it’s a good thing, meaning you made it and then you’ll deal with the problems rather than being proactive and intentional about how to work together. So I think we want to bring that cultural mindset to the industry.” 

L to R: Maryam Mujica, GCI’s chief public policy officer, Hirsh Jain of General Catalyst, and Jessica Taneja
L to R: Washington Post Live’s Kathy O’Hearn, Teresa Carlson, Hirsh Jain, and Hemant Taneja
Reggie Love and Hemant Taneja at the Washington AI Network
Aneesh Chopra, former CTO of the United States, speaks with GC CEO Hemant Taneja at the Washington AI Network

Carlson on new innovations to support U.S. national security: “It’s going to be important for us to get in front of those committee members that are driving and thinking about this both at the House and the Senate sides … because I don’t know that we’re going to see anytime soon the war go away. We might see an expansion, and we need technology to be ready and prepared and we need the right policies in place to drive the innovation. And what we hear from our defense and intelligence partners is they want to go faster. They want access to this innovation and they want to be able to see that innovation. So that’s really part of our strategy to make sure they see what’s available and then work with the lawmakers to make sure we can get it out in front of them.” 

Taneja on AI’s workforce implications: “So I think we’re going from unipolarity to a multipolar world as you think about what’s happening today, and a lot of market competitiveness ultimately is going to come down to the race for AI. And the reason is whatever the winning AI technologies are going to have significant impact on our culture, significant impact on what the market leading businesses are. Because to my earlier point, the workforce transformation that it enables and therefore the ability to innovate these future businesses is a stunning capability.”

Listen to the full episode on Audioboom, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.