Technology and Science06 June, 20262 min read
Sriram Krishnan Leaves White House AI Policy Role as Trump Administration Shapes AI Policy
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Leaves White House AI policy adviser role at end of June 2026. Shaped the Trump administration's AI policy framework and pro-industry stance.
Krishnan exits AI role
Sriram Krishnan, the White House senior policy adviser for AI, said he will leave his position at the end of June, with his departure tied to the Trump administration’s efforts to shape artificial intelligence policy during his second term. Krishnan’s exit follows a sequence of White House actions that included a Tuesday executive order adopting a lenient stance on cybersecurity risks from AI and urging developers to provide the U.S. government with voluntary access to their AI systems.
In his own post announcing his departure, Krishnan wrote, "This journey has been the privilege of a lifetime," and he said he would be working on helping tackle some of the large challenges facing America on AI. The White House spokesperson Kush Desai said on Saturday that Krishnan, after exiting a highly successful private-sector career, had been a vital contributor to the White House and President Trump’s goal of solidifying American leadership in technology and innovation.
Cybersecurity and model access
The departure announcement came as Trump directed U.S. national security agencies to collaborate with multiple AI providers after a conflict between the Pentagon and Anthropic PBC, which had been the sole vendor authorized for classified military applications until recently. In the same policy push, Trump signed an executive order on June 2 outlining a hands-off approach to cybersecurity threats raised by artificial intelligence, calling on developers to give the US government voluntary access to AI models.
Krishnan was described as instrumental in the administration’s AI action plan, including policy measures and international outreach, and White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks said the goal was "American AI dominance". Krishnan also helped drive efforts in May for Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Microsoft Corp., and xAI to commit to granting the U.S. government early access to their AI models for evaluating capabilities and enhancing security prior to public release.
What happens next
Multiple outlets said Krishnan planned to start an outside institution after leaving the White House, with The Washington Post reporting he informed administration officials he plans to leave his post to start an outside institution that will influence technology policy. The Straits Times said Krishnan will continue working with the White House as an outside adviser, while Sacks said he would remain engaged with the White House as an external consultant.
In his own post, Krishnan said, "After a break, I’ll be working on helping tackle some of the large challenges facing America on AI (more on that later)," and he added that further details would be shared later. TechCrunch reported that Krishnan highlighted his "key public accomplishments" including the administration’s AI Action Plan and said he would be "building institutions" that tackle big challenges for "America and its allies," as the administration continues to shape AI oversight and security testing.