Innovating in the Halls of Power – Caleb Smith (Office of the Speaker)

In this episode of the Business of Politics Show, host Eric Wilson is joined by Caleb Smith, the Digital Communications Director for the Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Caleb discusses the critical role technology plays in political communication, emphasizing the importance of audience engagement and adaptability in messaging. He talks about the challenges of staying up-to-date with emerging social platforms and expresses enthusiasm for the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) in political storytelling. 

The conversation also delves into the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in content creation, with a focus on both the efficiencies it can bring and the concerns around deep fakes. Caleb shares how AI is currently being used in the Speaker's office for tasks such as transcription and embedding captions in videos. The episode concludes with Caleb recounting personal anecdotes, including his marriage proposal on the balcony of the Capitol. Throughout the discussion, Caleb’s insights reflect his commitment to effectively communicating the Speaker's messages to the American public by leveraging technology.