Michael Kratsios is the man of the hour, charged by President Trump to usher in the golden age of AI and American innovation. How is the White House approaching this revolution in technology? What does AI mean for the American worker? How do we stay ahead of China — and also persuade other nations to adopt U.S. tech over Chinese?

We hosted this conversation at the 2025 Cicero Institute Courage Awards, where we recognize bold policymakers on both sides of the aisle for standing up to special interests and fighting for liberty. Amid the regulatory battle over AI, we were honored to feature Michael, who currently serves as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and a Senior Advisor to President Trump. In the first Trump term, he was the nation’s Chief Technology Officer and later acting Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. He started his career working for Peter Thiel, first at Clarium Capital and later Thiel Capital.

We began our conversation with Michael’s journey to the White House, and his role leading the White House’s science and technology policy agenda. He outlined three key areas to winning the AI race: the right regulatory frameworks, the necessary infrastructure, and international engagement. How do we not only stay ahead of China but also persuade other nations to adopt our AI stack? Michael lays out the strategy. He also makes the case for a federal AI standard and explains why a patchwork of laws stifles innovation, hamstringing the upstarts and entrenching the incumbents. Finally, he lays out what AI will mean for the American worker, and as the man in charge of overseeing AI, quantum, space, and more, he reveals what keeps him up at night. We have a generational opportunity with AI to bring down the cost of living and lift up millions of lives; we’re grateful to have leaders like Michael at the helm.

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Ep 134: Inside the White House and the AI Race with OSTP Director Michael Kratsios

Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist