Trump Rewards Big Tech’s Biggest Bootlickers With Seats on AI Policy Board

The Trump administration has notably shifted its approach to AI policy advisory by appointing leading Big Tech executives to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, replacing the Biden-era focus on academics with influential industry insiders. Key figures such as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Oracle’s Larry Ellison, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin were named to the council. This move underscores the administration’s strategy to directly involve major tech industry leaders in shaping national AI policy, aligning government priorities with the perspectives of those driving America’s AI innovation and commercialization.

The council is co-chaired by Trump’s AI and crypto czar David Sacks alongside White House tech advisor Michael Kratsios, signaling a concentrated focus on artificial intelligence and digital assets. This realignment highlights the administration’s intent to foster AI development by leveraging industry expertise, potentially accelerating the adoption and export of American AI technologies.

However, the approach has drawn criticism for favoring corporate interests over diverse regulatory and ethical considerations, as Trump’s AI framework has been characterized by some watchdog groups as favoring Big Tech’s policy priorities, including efforts to preempt state-level AI regulations. This shift could influence the balance between innovation, market power, and public accountability in the evolving landscape of AI governance. The appointments and policy direction reflect a broader trend in government engagement with AI, prioritizing economic competitiveness and technology leadership through closer industry-government collaboration.