Nuclear engineer Ethan Klein was confirmed to be the U.S. chief technology officer by the Senate in a Thursday night time vote, making him the primary to serve within the position since 2021.
The affirmation vote got here as a part of a batch of nominations. Those nominees had been confirmed alongside social gathering strains, 53-43, with help from solely Republicans and 4 Democrats not voting. In addition to CTO, Klein will function affiliate director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
In a press release Thursday night time, the White House celebrated Klein’s affirmation and mentioned he would “lead and coordinate national policy efforts to advance American leadership across critical and emerging technologies, including AI, quantum, nuclear energy, and biotechnology.”
While there have been principal deputy CTOs throughout the Biden administration, there was by no means a everlasting official within the chief technologist position. The final particular person to function CTO was Michael Kratsios throughout the first Trump administration. Kratsios is now director of OSTP.
Klein might be simply the fifth particular person to serve within the position, because the job was created underneath President Barack Obama in 2009.
Klein’s approval comes after a reasonably prolonged affirmation course of. He was initially nominated in March, had his hearing earlier than the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in September, and finally superior out of the committee in November.
Prior to his position within the present administration, Klein was an rising technology coverage adviser in President Donald Trump’s first time period. He has additionally labored in each enterprise capital and monetary advising “to help grow aerospace and defense companies and deep-tech startups,” per the White House announcement.
Klein has a Ph.D. in nuclear science and engineering in addition to bachelor’s levels in chemistry and physics from MIT. He additionally earned a grasp of enterprise administration from Stanford, the White House mentioned.
In a press release included within the launch, Kratsios praised Klein’s expertise.
“I’ve worked with Dr. Ethan Klein for nearly a decade and seen firsthand his expertise as a policymaker and technologist,” Kratsios mentioned. “He brings unparalleled experience, thoughtful leadership, and results-driven energy to the role of U.S. CTO.”
The White House additionally shared reward for Klein from business associations and technology advocates, together with the Consumer Technology Association and CTIA, which represents wi-fi technology corporations.
Scott Corley, government director of the Task Force on American Innovation, for instance, mentioned Klein is “acutely aware” of rivals like China rising funding in science and technology. Task Force on American Innovation labels itself as a nonpartisan group of corporations, enterprise associations, and analysis universities.
“Dr. Klein’s experience in both government and research has given him a clear-eyed appreciation of the strategic competition we face and the imperative to sustain and expand our nation’s commitment to fundamental research, lest we cede leadership in fields that will define the future,” Corley mentioned.