David Sacks loses White House influence on AI policy
Updated
Updated · The Verge · May 6
David Sacks loses White House influence on AI policy
14 articles · Updated · The Verge · May 6
The shift coincides with Commerce naming NIST-run CAISI to test frontier AI models before release, with xAI, Microsoft and Google DeepMind already signed up.
The administration's turn toward oversight follows alarm over Anthropic's unreleased Mythos model, which raised national security concerns and drew in Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and chief of staff Susie Wiles.
Sacks' expired special government employee status removes access to sensitive information and formal authority, as Washington also weighs foreign regulation and attacks on Middle East data centres as AI becomes critical infrastructure.
How will new AI safety rules impact America's technological race against global competitors?
With AI now autonomously hacking software, is any digital infrastructure truly secure from attack?
David Sacks' Shift from AI Czar to PCAST Co-Chair: Expanding Influence Amid Ethics Controversies and Federal AI Preemption Battles
Overview
In March 2026, David Sacks stepped down as White House AI and Cryptocurrency Czar due to a 130-day limit on his temporary role. Immediately after, he was appointed Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), allowing him to advise on a broader range of technology issues beyond AI and crypto, effectively bypassing previous limits. While his former czar role offered direct presidential access and focused influence, PCAST provides a permanent, independent advisory platform with high-profile tech leaders, emphasizing collaboration over direct policy power. However, Sacks' extensive tech investments and industry ties sparked ethics controversies and political resistance, complicating the administration’s push for federal AI regulation and shaping its future tech policy direction.