The Senate has confirmed Ethan Klein as the nation’s fifth-ever chief technology officer and as associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The White House said in a press release posted on the social media site X that Klein will oversee national policy efforts that reinforce U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence, quantum, nuclear energy and other emerging technologies.
Data from Congress revealed that Senate legislators voted 53-43 in favor of Klein’s confirmation on Thursday.
Who Is Ethan Klein?
Klein returns to the White House, where he served as policy adviser at the OSTP during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Outside of the White House, he is a nuclear engineer who held roles at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
In a statement, Klein thanked Trump and OSTP Director Michael Kratsios for “entrusting me with the role of U.S. Chief Technology Officer at this pivotal moment.”
“As someone who has worked both at the lab bench and the White House, I believe deeply in America’s vibrant tech ecosystem and the promise of emerging technologies to fundamentally improve American lives,” he said. “The Golden Age of American Innovation has only just begun.”
Klein earned his Master of Business Administration from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and his doctorate in nuclear engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
