U.S. President Donald Trump appointed on Wednesday the first members to his President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The council includes prominent tech leaders like Jensen Huang, President and CEO of Nvidia, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta.
Established by an Executive Order, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology brings together the “Nation’s foremost luminaries in science and technology to advise the President and provide recommendations on strengthening American leadership in science and technology,” said the White House.
Trump appoints prominent tech leaders
The Council of Advisors on Science and Technology will be co-chaired by David Sacks and Michael Kratsios.
The members also include Marc Andreessen, General partner of Andreessen Horowitz, Sergey Brin, former president of Alphabet, Safra Catz, former CEO of Oracle, and Michael Dell, CEO of Dell.
Other prominent names who were appointed to the council include Jacob DeWitte, Fred Ehrsam, Larry Ellison, David Friedberg, John Martinis, Bob Mumgaard and Lisa Su.
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology will “focus on topics related to the opportunities and challenges that emerging technologies present to the American workforce, and ensuring all Americans thrive in the Golden Age of Innovation,” the White House added.
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Trump accelerates U.S. AI leadership
Trump has placed securing U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence at the heart of his second term. Just days after returning to office in January last year, he instructed federal agencies to draft an AI Action Plan designed to ease regulatory constraints and speed up innovation in the private sector.
The White House said the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which is expected to play an important role in shaping Washington’s response to growing global competition in artificial intelligence, may eventually expand to as many as 24 members.
“Additional members will be appointed in the near future, along with information about the Council’s first meeting,” the statement added.
The newest appointments signal stronger ties between the administration and leading technology firms. This comes as artificial intelligence has become a key force behind U.S. investment, as companies commit trillions of dollars in spending over the coming years while the Trump administration moves to speed up the sector’s expansion.
Since President Franklin D. Roosevelt created his Science Advisory Board in 1933, each President has established his own PCAST advisory committee of scientists, engineers and industry leaders.
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