Conduit Street Podcast
From the halls of the State House to the heart of county government, the Conduit Street Podcast breaks down the decisions shaping Marylanders’ daily lives. Produced by the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), this weekly podcast offers smart, accessible insights on the latest state and local policy — with counties always at the center.
Explore how legislation, executive actions, and agency decisions affect essential public services like education, infrastructure, public safety, health, and other core functions that matter most to Maryland residents. With special guests from across the state and the occasional world-famous dad joke, Conduit Street keeps you informed, engaged, and ready for what’s next.
Whether you’re a policymaker, a public servant, or just policy-curious, this is your front-row seat to Maryland’s political landscape.
Conduit Street Podcast
Tech, Cyber, AI, Oh My!
On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally welcomes Ben Yelin to discuss cybersecurity issues, explore the opportunities and challenges related to rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and more!
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the world and how we live, work, and communicate. For county governments, AI can mean streamlined processes, enhanced service delivery, improved public safety and security, fraud detection and prevention, data analytics, regulatory compliance, and revolutionary opportunities for resident engagement and input.
However, implementing and regulating AI comes with challenges, including concerns about privacy, security, oversight, equity, accessibility, bias, etc. So, as local governments explore AI's transformative power, many questions remain.
Ben Yelin, JD, is the Program Director for Public Policy and External Affairs at the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, where he consults public and private entities on homeland security, cybersecurity, and emergency management policy. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he teaches courses on electronic surveillance and the Fourth Amendment.
In 2021, Ben served as the co-chair of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council's ad-hoc committee on State and Local Cybersecurity and co-drafted a comprehensive report on Maryland's cybersecurity posture and a list of recommendations for policy changes. The report became the framework for a suite of bills enacted in the 2022 session.
Ben also co-hosts the Caveat podcast, part of the Cyberwire network, a weekly show on surveillance, cybersecurity, digital privacy, and more.
The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Episodes are also available on MACo's Conduit Street blog.
Useful Links
Previous Conduit Street Coverage: The Robots Are Coming: AI Through the County Lens at #MACoCon
Previous Conduit Street Coverage: Suite of Strong Cyber Bills Signed Into Law
University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security
Caveat Podcast
Follow Ben Yelin on Twitter