Who is Sriram Krishnan, an engineer from India chosen by Trump to advise the White House on AI?

Sriram Krishnan has been appointed as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The announcement was made by incoming President Donald Trump, who highlighted that Krishnan will play a vital role in shaping AI policy across government sectors. He will also work closely with David O. Sacks, the newly appointed AI and cryptocurrency "czar."

Krishnan's educational journey began at SRM Valliammai Engineering College in Kattankulathur, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. He started his career at Microsoft, where he contributed significantly to the development of Windows Azure, working on its APIs and services. He also authored the book Programming Windows Azure for O’Reilly.

Over the years, Krishnan has held key roles in several major technology companies. He joined Facebook in 2013, where he was instrumental in scaling the company’s mobile app download ads business. Following his stint at Facebook, he moved to Snap, where he contributed to various product initiatives. He later worked at Twitter until 2019 and collaborated with Elon Musk on restructuring the platform (now X) after Musk’s acquisition in 2022. In 2021, Krishnan became a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), focusing on emerging technologies, and in 2023, he led the firm’s first international office in London.

Aside from his professional roles, Krishnan is an investor and advisor in the Indian fintech company Cred. He also co-hosts a podcast, The Aarthi and Sriram Show, with his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy. The podcast features notable tech leaders, including Elon Musk.

Krishnan has been an advocate for AI, proposing solutions for balancing the interests of AI companies and internet platforms in an opinion piece for The New York Times. He has emphasized the importance of technology-based collaborations over legal disputes.

In his new position in Washington, Krishnan will oversee AI policy coordination across US government agencies, working with Trump's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. His primary focus will be on balancing regulation and innovation to ensure the US remains a leader in AI.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the role, Krishnan stated, “I’m honoured to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI.”