Who is Sriram Krishnan, the newly appointed Senior White House AI Policy Advisor?

On Sunday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced the appointment of Chennai-born Sriram Krishnan as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Krishnan, an influential Indian-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author, expressed his excitement and gratitude, calling it an "honor" to contribute to shaping the future of AI in the United States.

Who is Sriram Krishnan?

Sriram Krishnan, 41, is an accomplished Indian-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a career spanning leadership roles at tech giants including Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Snap. Renowned for his expertise in product innovation and AI strategy, his appointment underscores the U.S.'s commitment to maintaining global leadership in AI.

Krishnan will work as Senior White House Policy Advisor on AI alongside David O. Sacks, the White House AI & Crypto Czar. Trump's announcement highlighted Krishnan's unique qualifications, blending expertise in policy, international affairs, and technology.

“Working closely with David Sacks, Sriram will focus on ensuring continued American leadership in AI and help shape and coordinate AI policy across government, including working with the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Sriram started his career at Microsoft as a founding member of Windows Azure,”

A graduate with a B.Tech in Information Technology from SRM Engineering College, Anna University, Krishnan has earned widespread recognition as a thought leader in AI, tech policy, and the intersection of these fields.

Krishnan and his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy, co-host the popular podcast The Aarthi and Sriram Show, where they discuss technology, innovation, and culture.

Krishnan also shares a professional relationship with billionaire Elon Musk, who is part of Trump's second-term administration. He collaborated with Musk on revamping Twitter (now X) after its acquisition in 2022. Krishnan has been a vocal advocate for bridging the gap between AI-driven models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and major internet platforms.