From Wired, this is the big interview, where we get to know the people behind the headlines

in conversations that explore the intersection of technology, power, and culture.

I'm Katie Drummond, Wired's global editorial director, and they may seem pretty far off,

but the midterm elections are actually closer than they appear.

Here on the big interview, we'll be talking to candidates from across the country who are shaking up

their races. Today, we're speaking to a candidate from right here in New York, Assemblyman Alex

Boris is running for Congress in a very crowded race to represent the city's 12th congressional

district,

a consistently blue one. Like many New Yorkers, the first time I heard about him was when I saw

those ads. Meet Alex Boris. He's got a master's in computer science, but he's an expert in

hypocrisy. The ads are funded by the pro AI PAC leading the future, and they take direct aim at Boris's previous experience as a Palantir employee.

He made hundreds of thousands of dollars building and selling the tech for ICE,

enabling ICE, and powering their deportations while making bank.

If you're wondering why the industry he used to work in is now lobbying against him,

well, that's because

Boris has become a vocal advocate for AI safety and regulation. It's actually a cornerstone of his

campaign, which he joins me now to talk about. Welcome, Alex. Thanks for having me. Thank you so much

for being here. It was so delightful to hear those ads again. They are particularly nasty.

We are definitely going to get to

them. We're going to talk all about those ads and your response to them. But I actually want to

start with your tech background. It was fascinating to me to realize that you had actually worked at

Palantir. You've been very open about this. The company has been called in turns a data broker,

...