US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Indian-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as the senior White House policy advisor on artificial intelligence (AI).
In a statement, Trump said Krishnan would shape and coordinate AI policy across the government.
I am pleased to announce the brilliant Team that will be working in conjunction with our White House A.I. & Crypto Czar, David O. Sacks. Together, we will unleash scientific breakthroughs, ensure America’s technological dominance, and usher in a Golden Age of American Innovation!…
— Trump Posts on 𝕏 (@trump_repost) December 22, 2024
In this role, Krishnan will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating AI policy across the government, working closely with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Trump highlighted Krishnan’s career, especially his foundational work on the Windows Azure team at Microsoft.
Krishnan, 41, an Indian-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist, expressed his appreciation for the appointment, saying, “I’m honored to serve our country and help maintain America’s leadership in AI, working alongside @DavidSacks. Thank you @realDonaldTrump for this opportunity.”
🇺🇸 I’m honored to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with @DavidSacks.
Thank you @realDonaldTrump for this opportunity. pic.twitter.com/kw1n0IKK2a
— Sriram Krishnan (@sriramk) December 22, 2024
Who is Sriram Krishnan?
- Born in Chennai, India, Krishnan completed his BTech in Information Technology at SRM Engineering College in Tamil Nadu before moving to the US in 2005 at the age of 21. His father worked in the insurance industry, and his mother was a homemaker.
- Krishnan began his career in tech at Microsoft in 2005. He later led product teams at Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook (now Meta), and Snap, where he worked on mobile advertising products.
- In 2022, he collaborated with Elon Musk to overhaul Twitter (now X) after Musk’s acquisition. Krishnan has been a strong advocate for addressing challenges posed by AI-driven models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT in relation to large internet platforms.
- In 2021, Krishnan became a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a top venture capital firm, and by 2023, he was leading the firm’s London office. He left the firm in November 2023.
- Krishnan is also known for co-hosting the podcast ‘The Aarthi and Sriram Show’ (formerly ‘The Good Time Show’) with his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy.
