David Sacks ends his stint as White House AI and crypto czar and becomes co-chair of PCAST
On March 26, 2026 venture capitalist David Sacks said in a Bloomberg interview that his time as Trump's AI and crypto czar was over, because his status as a special government employee is capped at 130 days a year. He moved to co-chair the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) with science adviser Michael Kratsios. That left the AI-czar post open until Trump picked DNI Jay Clayton in October 2026.
Key facts
- Announced Thursday March 26, 2026 in a Bloomberg video interview (TechCrunch)
- Reason: special government employees are limited to 130 working days in a 12-month period
- New role: co-chair of PCAST with Michael Kratsios. Sacks: 'I can now make recommendations on not just AI but an expanded range of technology topics'
- PCAST's initial members include Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Sergey Brin, Marc Andreessen, Lisa Su and Michael Dell. Focus areas: AI, advanced semiconductors, quantum computing, nuclear power (TechCrunch)
- A senior White House adviser: 'David will always be his crypto and AI czar' (per reports)
- TechCrunch: PCAST is advisory and does not set policy, so the move reduced Sacks' direct influence
- Later: Sacks was reported in October 2026 as an outside participant in the White House 'Super Intelligence Force' chaired by new AI czar Jay Clayton
What happened
Sacks, the All-In podcast host and Craft Ventures partner who had been Trump's AI and crypto czar since January 2025, stepped down when he reached the legal limit for a special government employee. He stayed in the administration's orbit as PCAST co-chair.
Why it matters
For about six months there was no formal White House AI czar. The September 2026 crises, the "AI Force" promise and the Clayton appointment filled that gap with a more safety- and risk-focused structure. Sacks remains a leading voice against AI-safety regulation.
Changelog
- 2026-10-04: created (resolves people-registry lead; pre-cutoff context for the Clayton appointment)
People
David Sacks Donald Trump Jay Clayton Jensen Huang Lisa Su Mark Zuckerberg Michael Kratsios
Related events
- Trump forms the 'Super Intelligence Force' (SIF), chaired by DNI Jay Clayton as AI czar, with 120 days to report on AI risks and opportunities ★★★★
- Trump says he will form an 'AI Force' and name an AI czar, while calling AI-safety fears a 'hoax' ★★★
- Dario Amodei and Gavin Baker debate AI regulation on X; David Sacks says Amodei wants a "DMV for AI" ★★
- White House senior AI policy adviser Sriram Krishnan announces he will leave at the end of June 2026 ★★
Sources (3)
- pressTechCrunch: David Sacks is done as AI czar, here's what he's doing instead
- pressCNBC (Mar 26, 2026): David Sacks ends White House crypto and AI czar stint
- pressFox Business: Trump names David Sacks co-chair of tech advisory council
id: 2026-03-26-david-sacks-steps-down-ai-czar-pcast · updated 2026-10-04 · open in the interactive timeline