Michael Kratsios: Inside the White House's AI Strategy
Y Combinator · 2026-08-18 · 40 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLUZclThLhUVideo summary
Michael Kratsios backs open-source AI and one national rulebook, while urging fast grants and autonomous labs to accelerate US science.
At Y Combinator Startup School, White House science and technology director Michael Kratsios said US AI leadership depends on a regulatory environment that lets innovation grow. He reaffirmed the White House’s support for both open- and closed-source AI, cautioned against rigid rules modeled on the EU AI Act, and argued that a single national standard would help startups compete with large companies. Kratsios distinguished “born free” technologies from regulated fields like commercial drones, where government approval can block deployment. He also described a new science strategy inspired by Vannevar Bush’s 1945 report: AI-driven discovery, autonomous cloud labs, grants decided in under a month, and agency action plans within 90 days. Looking ahead, he cited quantum computing, including a goal for the Department of Energy to build a scientifically relevant quantum computer by 2028. On AI and creators, he backed clearer protections against unauthorized outputs while allowing licensing markets to develop.
Chapters
- 0:00Michael Kratsios on AI Policy and Public Service: U.S. Leadership and His Return to Government
- 2:38From Tech to the White House: Peter Thiel, Lyft, SpaceX, and Unlocking New Technologies
- 4:39How Technology Policy Actually Gets Made: Federated Decisions and FAA Drone Rules
- 5:51The White House on Open Source AI: The AI Action Plan Backs Open- and Closed-Source Models
- 8:28How Washington Sees AI Differently: Jobs, Healthcare, Data Centers, and Startup Growth
- 9:53Regulating AI That Changes Every Six Months: EU AI Act and Fixed Compute Thresholds
- 11:37Which AI Risks Are Overblown? Mythos Cybersecurity, Fable Guardrails, and Bio Risk
- 13:03Giving Little Tech a Seat at the Table: National AI Rules and Clarity for Startups
- 18:01Born Free vs. Born in Captivity Technologies: Internet, FAA Drone Waivers, and Boom Supersonic
- 20:46What Working in the White House Is Actually Like: Four Policy Councils and Decisions Escalating to the President
- 25:56A New Golden Age of American Science: AI, $200 Billion in R&D, and Autonomous Labs
- 31:32Quantum, Congress, and IP: A 2028 Quantum Goal, AI Preemption, and Creator Rights
- 37:54Why Technologists Should Consider Public Service: Kratsios Invites Applicants to the White House Science Office
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