WASHINGTON, DC –
U.S. Vice President JD Vance formally swore in Greek-American Michael Kratsios as Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on March 27. In a small ceremony in the ceremonial office of the Vice President, Kratsios received the oath of office at 9:29 am, witnessed by his wife Alissa, his mother Maria, and current and former White House colleagues.
This followed an overwhelming confirmation by the United States Senate (by a vote of 74-25) on Greek Independence Day – March 25.
Kratsios is the youngest person in the history of our country to serve in this impactful position (at the age of 38) with a broad mandate to advise the President of the United States on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. Most significantly, he will craft the President’s policies for AI development and quantum computing across the federal government.
In the first Trump Administration Kratsios served as the President’s Chief Technology Officer – only the fourth in our country’s history and led the development and execution of the national technology policy agenda. He was the architect of 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, among other remarkable advancements.
In the final year of his service, he became Under Secretary of Defense – the third highest ranking official at the US Department of Defense – and was the youngest Undersecretary of Defense in our country’s history. There he managed the largest research and development budget for a single organization in the world, supervising all research, engineering, development, and prototyping at the Pentagon.
In between his service to our country in the last and this Trump Administration Michael Kratsios served as Managing Director and head of strategy for Scale AI, a data management startup and as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI.
He is a recipient of the Department of Defense’s highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Medal, was named to Fortune’s “40 Under 40” and his writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Newsweek, and Fortune. Prior to joining the White House, Kratsios invested in and advised technology companies at Thiel Capital and is a South Carolina native.
