Trump Taps Top Tech Executives for PCAST, Signaling Industry-Led AI Policy Push

President Donald Trump has appointed a high-profile slate of tech executives to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a body expected to influence the administration’s approach to artificial intelligence policy.

The panel will be co-chaired by White House AI czar David Sacks and Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios.

Who’s on the council

Notable appointees include Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, Marc Andreessen, Safra Katz, Sergey Brin, and Michael Dell — a lineup that underscores how closely Washington’s AI debate is being tied to private-sector power centers.

The announcement follows the White House’s release of an AI framework calling on Congress to address the technology and pursue a federal approach that could limit state-level AI regulation — an idea that has drawn skepticism from Democrats and some Republicans.

What changed from prior councils

Historically, PCAST has often leaned more heavily toward academic scientists and technical experts with fewer overt political ties. This iteration appears more industry-heavy and politically aligned with the administration’s innovation and competition agenda.

Zuckerberg said the United States has “the opportunity to lead the world in AI” and that he is honored to serve. Nvidia said it is “delighted” by Huang’s appointment and views it as an opportunity to advance U.S. AI leadership.

Why it matters: The composition of PCAST suggests federal AI strategy may increasingly be shaped by executives building and financing frontier AI systems, with major implications for regulation, U.S.-China tech competition, and capital allocation across the sector.