Why Trump Picked a Science Advisor, Michael Kratsios, Who Isn’t a Scientist

President Trump last week He was officially nominated Michael Kratsosius, a member of the first Trump administration with no degrees in science or engineering, to be a science advisor.

Science policy experts say that the extensive experience of Mr. Kratsius in the policy and management of private and private technology is what makes him an attractive candidate. His experience includes a major role in early federal efforts to accelerate the rise of artificial intelligence and compete with China in its development. It will join A group of White House advisers On the preserved topic.

However, the choice of Mr. Trump represents a clear break from a long tradition in which presidential science consultants carry higher degrees and deep science roots. The appointment of Mr. Kratsosius led other experts to warn budget discounts in health and physical sciences.

“This is an absolute disaster,” he said Michael S. LopeelProfessor of Physics at the City College at New York and a former spokesperson for the American Physical Society, the largest group of physicists in the world. “The science of climate has died. God knows what will happen to biological medicine. This represents the beginning of the decline in the golden age of American science.”

Neil F. flexibleViazae said the position of President Bill Clinton, the nomination of Mr. Karatusseos is a deep shift. “The Trump administration was the first science consultant with unusual credentials,” he said.

This was the official Calvin DarwijiaThe meteorological world obtained a doctorate in air sciences from Illinois University, Urbana Chambine. Almost a decade ago, until his appointment to the White House, Dr. Darwijiyyah held the position of Vice President for Research at Oklahoma University, a pioneering center in the development of weather forecasting. He also served from 2004 to 2016 on National Science CouncilWho oversees the National Science Corporation and provides independent advice to Congress and the President.

Almost all former science consultants in the country had a doctorate, often from elite universities with a good reputation for the production of unilaterals on Nobel. the first, Vanifar BushScience Adviser to President Franklin de Roosevelt, obtained a joint doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. He played a major role in convincing Washington Building the first atomic bomb.

Victoria Lakvita, a spokeswoman for the White House Science and Technology Office, said the office will not comment on the choice of Mr. Kratsosius. Instead, the science leaders who expressed his support for Mr. Karansius, including Sodib BarrickPresident of the American Association for Science Provision; Barbara R. SnyderPresident of the American Universities Association; and Mark BakerPresident of the Association of Universities Granting Public Lands.

Mr. Kratsosius, 38, grew up in South Carolina and Magna graduated with honors in 2008 from Princeton with A. Bachelor’s degree in literature In politics. It has no other degrees. While he is in college trainee For Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican in South Carolina.

After school, it is Wall Street analyst was Before working in an investment fund run by Peter Thil, a legitimate capitalist in the Silicon Valley, who supported the first presidential offer for Mr. Trump and his advice on technology issues.

In March 2017, early in his first term, Mr. Trump hiring Mr. Kratsosius as an assistant deputy technology policy. It was the administration The first rental Among the many openings of science and technology consultants. In this post, technical policy initiatives were led on issues such as artificial intelligence, drones, quantum computing and cybersecurity.

At that time, Dr. Lin, Science Advisor to Mr. Clinton, referred to Mr. Karatusseus in the New York Times Category As “the Silicon Valley financier, which technically lacks experience with a Bachelor’s degree in political science.” The title of the article was “Trump’s contempt for science.”

Many critics mistake Trump administration to let it open many of the best science posts. For example, Mr. Trump was in his position for about two years before Dr. Darwyjieh was certain By the Senate as his science advisor.

Technical experts also accused The Trump administration to waive the edge of the United States’s artificial intelligence to China. Mr. Kratsosius, shortly after the administration’s invitation to the strongest artificial intelligence initiatives.

“We must invest in future industries,” he books The need for the most stringent artificial intelligence policies in a wireless article in February 2019. “We must now act to ensure that this innovation is born, instead of uncertainty.”

At one time, play Central role In the birth of the Trump administration as the first strategy of artificial intelligence in the country, known as the name American artificial intelligence initiative.

In March 2019, Mr. Trump is officially to choose Mr. Kratsius to be the chief technology official in the country. Published, creature By the Obama administration, the Senate’s assertion requires the White House of Science and Technology Office, the home of the main science advisor.

In July 2020, the White House gave Mr. Kratsosius Second function Representation is the Minister of Defense for Research and Engineering. In this role, he supervised a sprawling maze of the units that included research laboratories of the Ministry as well as the Space Development Agency and the Advanced Defense Research Projects Agency.

To serve him, he is receive The distinguished public service medal, which is the highest prize awarded by the Ministry of Defense to ordinary citizens or non -professional federal employees.

In an interview, Dr. Darwijiyeh, Science Adviser to Mr. Trump, described in his first term, Mr. Kratsosius is very intelligent and well organized. “He has a really good vision of things and feeling what to do,” he said. “He looks through a geopolitical lens.”

“He knows what he does not know” and will constantly depend on the specialists who did so.

He jokingly referred to a Bachelor’s degree in politics and said that after an early meeting with him, “I wanted this degree.”

After leaving the government when President Biden won the elections in 2020, Mr. Karatussos became administrative membership Artificial intelligence scaleAn startup in San Francisco helps artificial intelligence companies to refine its products. As head of the startup strategy, His main job To help companies bring their experimental projects to Amnesty International to maturity and the commercial market.

In 2024 to choose Expand the AI ​​range to help test and evaluate artificial intelligence models that may one day help make decisions.

The Trump administration has made Amnesty International a top priority. As the president of the national team, Mr. Trump to choose David Sachs, a conservative silicon valley ally and Elon Musk’s ally, to be artificial intelligence and cucumber.

In an interview, Dr. Lynn, Science Adviser to Mr. Clinton, said that his criticism of Mr. Kratsosius in 2018 could not take into account the steps he had later taken in his technical career. He added that Mr. Trump chooses him as a science consultant who can be considered justified Washington’s current batch To overcome China in the global artificial intelligence race.

“Technology is a much higher priority for everyone in the White House than it has been in the past years,” said Dr. Lin Lynn. He added that this made a scientific advisor who has a deep knowledge of technology and its mysterious complications.

“He can refer to a wide range of responsibilities.”.

Regarding the skills acquired in scientific policy and administration, Dr. Lin added, “It can indicate the experience that may be more important than a doctorate.”