Sriram Krishnan Appointed as Trump’s Senior AI Policy Advisor

Donald Trump, the incoming president, has announced that Sriram Krishnan will take on the role of senior policy advisor for AI at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Krishnan recently served as a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).

In a statement, Trump shared that Krishnan will “shape and coordinate AI policy across the government” and collaborate with the president’s council of advisors on science and technology. Krishnan confirmed the news on X, mentioning that he’ll work closely with David Sacks, the former PayPal COO, who was recently named Trump’s crypto and AI czar.

“I’m honored to serve our country and ensure American leadership in AI continues,” Krishnan wrote. “Thank you, Donald Trump, for this opportunity.”

Krishnan brings extensive experience as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He has led product teams at major tech firms, including Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo, Facebook, and Snap. Alongside his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy, he gained additional recognition as the co-host of the podcast The Aarthi and Sriram Show (formerly The Good Time Show).

Krishnan’s connection to billionaire Elon Musk has also drawn attention. He worked with Musk to revamp Twitter (now X) after Musk acquired the platform in 2022. Musk currently co-leads the Department of Government Efficiency, a policy group focused on recommending federal spending cuts and government restructuring.

Sriram Krishnan on AI Trends and His Journey at a16z

Sriram Krishnan joined Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) as a general partner in February 2021. By 2023, he was leading the firm’s London office, marking its first expansion outside the U.S. He stepped down from his role in late November.

In an opinion piece for The New York Times last year, Krishnan shared his insights on AI trends. He emphasized the need for “a fundamentally different mechanism” for websites to exchange value with AI-powered tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

“Large internet sites are fighting back against AI models with the internet equivalent of raising the castle drawbridge,” he noted. Krishnan referred to user protests on platforms like Reddit and Stack Exchange, as well as the rise of data licensing programs.

While some experts suggest legal action or forming content alliances, Krishnan expressed a preference for innovation over litigation. “As a technologist, my hope is that the answers lie in code rather than lawyers and that we see creative technology solutions to help keep the internet open,” he explained.