Michael Kratsios is President Donald J. Trump’s chief science and technology policy advisor. 

As an Assistant to the President and the thirteenth Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Michael oversees the development and execution of the Nation’s science and technology policy agenda. He leads the Trump administration’s efforts to ensure American leadership in scientific discovery and technological innovation, including in critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nuclear energy, and biotechnology.

In the first Trump Administration, Michael served as the fourth Chief Technology Officer of the United States at the White House. Under his leadership, the White House reoriented U.S. national technology policy towards an explicit primary focus on ensuring continued American leadership in emerging technologies. Michael architected the nation’s first AI Strategy, the American AI Initiative, doubled Federal AI and quantum research spending, developed first-in-the-world regulatory principles to govern AI development, and led U.S. efforts to develop the world's first intergovernmental AI policy guidelines at the OECD.

Michael oversaw the implementation of the bipartisan National AI Initiative and National Quantum Initiative Acts, including the establishment of the National AI Initiative Office and the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House, and spearheaded a billion dollar program to create a network of AI and quantum research institutes across the country. 

Michael previously served as Under Secretary of Defense. As the third highest ranking official at the Department of Defense, Michael managed the largest research and development budget for a single organization in the world, supervising all research, engineering, development, and prototyping at the Pentagon. He oversaw DARPA, the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Innovation Unit, the Space Development Agency, and the DoD Laboratory enterprise.

Michael has been twice confirmed by the U.S Senate and is a recipient of the DoD’s Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest civilian award conferred by the Department. Michael’s writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, WIRED, Bloomberg, Newsweek, and Fortune.

Prior to the White House, Michael invested in, advised, and built technology companies in Silicon Valley. A South Carolina native, Michael graduated from Princeton University and served as a Visiting Scholar at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.

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