US President-elect, Donald Trump has named Sriram Krishnan, a former general partner at the privately held venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), as the senior policy advisor for AI in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
Trump, in a statement said that Krishnan will help shape and coordinate AI policy across government, and work with the president’s council of advisors on science and technology.
In a reaction to the President-elect, Krishnan, in a post on X, said that he’ll be working closely with ex-PayPal COO David Sacks, who was recently named Trump’s crypto and AI ‘czar.’
The announcement underscores the administration’s focus on positioning the United States as a leader in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Krishnan will oversee AI-related policies and collaborate with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, aiming to foster innovation while addressing regulatory challenges in the AI space.
He will also work closely with David Sacks, Trump’s newly appointed “crypto and AI czar,” to shape the administration’s vision for technology governance. Coming from a rich background in technology and entrepreneurship, Krishnan has previously held leadership roles at Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Snap. His expertise in the tech sector, combined with his experience as a venture capitalist, places him at the nexus of technology development and policy.
Some IT analysts suggest that the appointment is coming at a critical time when AI technologies, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, are rapidly evolving, prompting calls for global ethical considerations, data-sharing frameworks, and security measures.
Philips Babatunde