Trump Administration Eyes Corporate Insiders for AI Adviser Role Amid Regulatory Backlash
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
President Trump is considering establishment-aligned officials for a new artificial-intelligence adviser post, as the administration faces mounting pressure to regulate the tech industry’s unchecked power and address the social harms of rapid AI expansion.
On September 19, President Donald Trump announced plans to appoint a new artificial-intelligence adviser and form an 'AI Force' to steer policy in the technology sector—a move that comes as the administration continues to prioritize industry interests over public welfare. The vacancy follows the exit of David Sacks, a former AI and crypto adviser whose tenure was cut short by the 130-day cap for special government employees, highlighting the revolving door between tech elites and government.
Among the leading candidates is Sriram Krishnan, a senior White House policy adviser with deep ties to Big Tech, having previously held executive roles at Microsoft, Meta, and XAI. Krishnan, who was featured in TIME Magazine’s 2025 'Persons of the Year' list, played a key role in drafting the administration’s AI Action Plan—a document criticized by advocates for failing to address algorithmic bias and worker displacement. Trump publicly praised Krishnan at a White House event, further signaling the administration’s coziness with Silicon Valley power brokers.
Another frontrunner, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, has called for AI firms to be held liable for their products’ harms, but critics argue his approach is insufficient and lacks teeth. Bessent’s engagement with Chinese officials over a U.S.–China AI communication mechanism has drawn skepticism from those who see the administration as more interested in global tech competition than in protecting vulnerable communities. Bessent denied reports that he had already been tapped for the adviser role, even as he told the House Financial Services Committee, 'The best way to guarantee safety is that the creators are liable for what they build and generate.'
National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross, another contender, has a background in corporate and Republican Party leadership, and has reportedly clashed with Bessent over the Treasury’s influence in AI policy—an internal power struggle emblematic of the administration’s lack of coherent vision for regulating AI’s societal impacts.
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and a long-time Trump technology adviser, has openly opposed any pause in AI development, dismissing calls for global governance and oversight. Speaking at the United Nations, Kratsios declared, 'The frontier of intelligence is advancing rapidly. That is not a reason to pause its further development or to constrain it with new global governance structures.' This stance has alarmed advocates who warn that unregulated AI threatens jobs, privacy, and democracy itself.
The incoming adviser will be under pressure from both industry and lawmakers, with Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal pushing the Artificial Intelligence Risk Evaluation Act. Hawley’s call for an adviser who prioritizes 'everyday citizens’ best interests' rings hollow to critics, given the administration’s track record of siding with corporate interests. The selection will determine whether the U.S. continues to enable tech giants or finally confronts the urgent need for robust AI regulation.