Trump Appoints Zuckerberg, Huang, and Ellison to New White House AI Advisory Council

President Donald Trump on Wednesday appointed the first 13 members of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, naming some of the most prominent figures in the American technology industry, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Oracle Executive Chairman Larry Ellison, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin. The White House announced the panel's membership on March 25, 2026, describing its mission as strengthening U.S. leadership in what the administration calls the "Golden Age of Innovation." The council will be co-chaired by David Sacks, Trump's AI and crypto czar, and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The council was established by executive order in January 2025 and may be expanded to as many as 24 members, with the White House indicating additional appointments are expected soon.

„The United States has the opportunity to lead the world in AI. I am honored to join the president's council and work with other industry leaders to help make this happen.” — Mark Zuckerberg via AFP

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has existed in various forms since President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a Scientific Advisory Council in 1933. Every subsequent U.S. president has established his own version of the body, drawing on scientists, engineers, and industry leaders. In previous iterations, the council addressed topics including pandemic preparedness, quantum computing, and clean energy. The current council was established by executive order in January 2025, at the start of Trump's second term.

Full roster spans chip makers, venture capital, and nuclear fusion The complete list of 13 initial appointees spans a wide range of technology sectors. In addition to Zuckerberg, Huang, Ellison, and Brin, the council includes venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, Safra Catz as executive vice chair of Oracle, Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, and AMD president and CEO Lisa Su. Rounding out the group are Jacob DeWitte, founder and CEO of nuclear energy startup Oklo; Fred Ehrsam, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase; entrepreneur David Friedberg; physicist John Martinis; and Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. The breadth of the roster reflects the administration's stated interest in emerging technologies beyond artificial intelligence, including digital assets and advanced energy. 24 (members) — maximum permitted size of the PCAST council The White House said the first meeting date had not yet been announced.

Artificial Intelligence / Big Tech: 5, Semiconductors / Hardware: 2, Venture Capital: 2, Energy / Fusion: 2, Cryptocurrency / Finance: 1, Academia / Physics: 1

Elon Musk conspicuously absent from the initial list One name notably absent from the initial roster is Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the world's wealthiest person. Gizmodo reported that it was not immediately clear why Musk was excluded, noting that the two men appeared to publicly reconcile following a reported falling out. The White House did not offer an explanation for his omission, and the council's 24-member ceiling leaves room for future additions. Fred Ehrsam, one of the appointees, contributed one million dollars to Trump's inauguration ceremony, according to 7sur7. The appointments have drawn attention to the deepening ties between the Trump administration and Silicon Valley, a relationship that has shifted markedly since Trump's first term. Recent polling cited by Deutsche Welle and ABC indicates that Americans believe large technology companies hold too much influence over Washington politics, a sentiment that has begun to generate political backlash. The council's founding decree, issued in January 2025, provides that the body will theoretically dissolve in January 2027 unless extended by the president.

Advisory body steers AI policy with no enforcement powers The PCAST is a purely advisory body: it prepares reports and recommendations at the president's request but holds no regulatory or law enforcement authority. Under Trump, the White House has said the council will focus on the opportunities and challenges that emerging technologies present for the American workforce. Bloomberg reported that Trump has already secured billions of dollars in commitments from technology leaders to build out AI infrastructure and last week unveiled a national blueprint for regulating AI. That blueprint calls for online safeguards for children, reduced permitting requirements for data centers, and measures to prevent censorship of AI systems. The council's composition — dominated by industry executives rather than scientists and academics — marks a departure from the makeup of similar bodies under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, according to Gizmodo. The growing role of AI development has itself become politically contentious ahead of November midterm elections, with voters expressing concern over data center construction, rising energy costs, potential job losses, and environmental impact.