David Sacks has concluded his tenure as Donald Trump’s AI and cryptocurrency adviser.

In a conversation with Bloomberg on Thursday, the seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and podcaster confirmed that his non-consecutive 130-day role as a special government employee has ended and that he’s transitioning to co-chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), partnering with senior White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios. 

“I believe that as co-chair of PCAST, I can now provide insights not only on AI but on a broader array of technology issues,” he mentioned to Bloomberg during a video interview. “So yes, this is how I’ll be involved from now on.”

Practically, this signifies that Sacks will have less proximity to the power dynamics in Washington than he has had since the beginning of this second Trump term. As the AI czar, Sacks maintained direct communication with Trump and influenced policy decisions. PCAST serves as a federal advisory committee, meaning it investigates matters, produces reports, and forwards recommendations but does not create policy.

The council has been around in various forms since FDR, yet Sacks emphasized to Bloomberg that this particular group boasts “the most star power of any similar assembly” ever formed, and it’s challenging to dispute his assertion. The initial 15 members encompass Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Marc Andreessen, AMD’s Lisa Su, and Michael Dell, among others. 

That’s quite a collection of billionaires.

Sacks informed Bloomberg that the council will address AI, advanced semiconductors, quantum computing, and nuclear energy, with immediate focus directed toward advancing Trump’s national AI framework, unveiled just last week. The framework aims to replace what Sacks referred to as a chaotic mix of conflicting regulations at the state level. “You’ve got 50 different states regulating this in 50 different ways,” he stated, “and it’s resulting in a patchwork of regulations that our innovators find challenging to navigate.” 

What Sacks did not directly address was the reasoning behind the timing of this transition and whether his recent remarks influenced it. Earlier this month, during the well-known “All In” podcast he co-hosts, Sacks publicly encouraged the administration to seek an exit from the U.S.-backed conflict with Iran, outlining a series of deteriorating scenarios — attacks on oil infrastructure in neighboring nations, the destruction of desalination facilities, the potential for nuclear engagement by Israel — and advocating for a diplomatic exit. Trump replied by informing reporters that Sacks had not discussed the war with him. 

When Bloomberg inquired about it on Thursday, Sacks figuratively raised his hands in disbelief: “I’m not part of the foreign policy or national security teams,” he remarked, specifying that his podcast commentary represented his personal perspective, not an official stance.

Despite the notable individuals Sacks is bringing to PCAST, it’s pertinent to consider the historical context of what the council has been, functioning as an advisory group with significant influence in some administrations and negligible impact in others. 

President Obama’s administration is remembered as the most productive on record, generating 36 reports over eight years — two of which resulted in tangible policy changes, including a regulation from the FDA that facilitated the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids. 

In contrast, President Trump’s initial council took nearly three years to appoint its first members, delivered a few reports, and did not leave a significant impact, while President Biden’s council leaned heavily towards academic expertise — featuring Nobel laureates, MacArthur fellows, and National Academy members — and produced a limited set of reports before the administration concluded. 

The current PCAST represents an entirely different entity, formed predominantly from the executive leadership of companies that are shaping the technology it will provide guidance on.

Now, Sacks is once again part of that landscape and likely free to move back into his role as an investor and entrepreneur. A representative for Craft Ventures, the firm Sacks co-founded and where he continues to be a partner, has not yet addressed related inquiries, but TechCrunch reported last year about the ethics waivers Sacks secured to retain financial interests in AI and crypto firms while influencing federal policy in both realms — an arrangement that received considerable criticism from ethics scholars and legislators.