Trump AI Adviser Sriram Krishnan to Step Down from White House Role

Sriram Krishnan, the Chennai-born technology executive who played a key role in shaping US President Donald Trump's artificial intelligence agenda, has announced that he will step down from his position as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House later this month.

Krishnan, 42, revealed his decision in a post on X on Saturday, saying he plans to remain engaged with issues related to AI after leaving government service.

“I'll be leaving my role at the White House at the end of this month. After a break I’ll be working on helping tackle some of the large challenges facing America on AI (more on that later),” Krishnan said.

During his tenure, Krishnan was closely involved in developing the Trump administration's AI policies, including the "AI Action Plan", which sought to reduce regulatory barriers for the technology sector and accelerate the expansion of data centre infrastructure across the United States.

He was also among the advisers who helped shape an executive order aimed at limiting the ability of individual states to impose their own AI regulations.

Reflecting on his time in government, Krishnan thanked Trump and described serving in the administration as a significant honour.

“It is hard to express how big a privilege it has been to serve the American people and how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to do so. First and foremost, it has been an honour to serve under President Donald Trump. Without his leadership, we would not be leading in the AI race,” he said. His departure prompted praise from fellow White House adviser David Sacks, who highlighted Krishnan's role in advancing US AI policy.

“Your skills are genuinely unique: a rare combination of deep technical fluency in AI, sharp policy instincts, exceptional strategic thinking, and true diplomatic talent,” Sacks, Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, wrote on X.

Krishnan cited the American AI Action Plan, the National AI Policy Framework and the development of AI acceleration partnerships among the key accomplishments of his 18-month stint in government.

“The past 18 months have given me a front row seat to this critical moment on AI facing America and our allies. Whether it is energy, data centres or a clear path for Americans to experience the benefits of AI, there are many tough issues we all need to navigate together,” Krishnan said.

“I plan on building institutions that help tackle some of those challenges for America and its allies,” he added.

Before entering public service, Krishnan worked at Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter, and later became a general partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. He is also known as a close associate of Elon Musk and advised the billionaire during his 2022 acquisition of Twitter, which was subsequently rebranded as X.

Born in Chennai in 1984, Krishnan graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Information Technology from SRM University in 2005 before moving to the United States two years later to join Microsoft.

His appointment to the White House drew criticism from some conservative commentators aligned with Trump's Make America Great Again movement. Among them was Laura Loomer, who argued that Krishnan's previous support for easing restrictions on skilled immigration and green card caps conflicted with the administration's broader immigration agenda.

(with PTI inputs)