Sriram Krishnan

Sriram Krishnan
Born	1984 Chennai, India
Occupation(s)	Senior Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence, Venture Capitalist, Podcaster, Author
Years active	2007–present
Known for	Senior Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence at the White House; General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz; Co-host of The Aarthi and Sriram Show

Sriram Krishnan (born 1984) holds a senior position within the White House as the Senior Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence. He played a pivotal role in drafting the American "AI Action Plan," unveiled in July 2025, which underscores the critical importance of securing AI leadership to prevail in the "existential competition with China."

Leading the U.S. AI policy division, Krishnan is instrumental in crafting the federal government’s approach to AI. His responsibilities include promoting AI integration across government agencies, eliminating regulatory obstacles, steering suppliers toward federal technology solutions, developing regulatory frameworks for private-sector AI, and engaging in international "AI diplomacy." His mission is to "revitalize American leadership in cutting-edge technologies," representing U.S. interests at global forums such as the Paris AI Summit.

Born in India and now a U.S. citizen, Krishnan’s professional background spans venture capital, podcasting, product management, and authorship. Early in his career, he managed product teams at major tech companies including Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Snap. Alongside his spouse, Aarthi Ramamurthy, he gained recognition as a podcast host beginning in 2021. He served as a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and headed its London office. In 2022, he collaborated with Elon Musk on Twitter’s restructuring following Musk's takeover.

On December 22, 2024, then president-elect Donald Trump announced Krishnan’s selection as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence for the upcoming administration.

Early life and education

Originating from Chennai, India, Krishnan was raised in a middle-class household. His passion for technology emerged in the late 1990s when he persuaded his father to purchase a computer for him. Lacking internet access at the time, he self-taught programming through books, which laid the foundation for his IT career.

He completed a Bachelor of Technology degree in Information Technology at SRM University between 2001 and 2005. Krishnan became a naturalized American citizen in 2016.

Early career

Krishnan began his professional journey at Microsoft in 2007 as a program manager on Visual Studio. While at Facebook, he was responsible for developing the Facebook Audience Network, which emerged as a significant rival to Google's advertising platforms. During his tenure at Twitter, he led product development and core user experience initiatives that contributed to an annual user growth rate of 20%, including launching an updated home page and events feature.

Andreessen Horowitz

In February 2021, Krishnan joined the American venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz ("a16z") as a general partner. His initial focus was on consumer and social sectors while also examining the broader societal implications of "deep tech." By 2023, he was appointed head of a16z’s inaugural international office based in London, concentrating on investments in Web3, artificial intelligence, and related technologies. He announced plans to depart from the firm by the close of 2024.

Social media and AI

In 2022, reports indicated that Krishnan was assisting Elon Musk with restructuring Twitter following Musk’s acquisition of the platform. He was also considered a top contender for the CEO role of the privatized company. In 2023, Krishnan penned an opinion article for The New York Times predicting expansion across various online platforms fueled by decentralization and emerging networks such as Farcaster, Bluesky, and Mastodon.

Public office

In 2024, the Financial Times highlighted Krishnan's role in global affairs, particularly his facilitation of a reconnection between Boris Johnson and Elon Musk during Musk's consideration for the proposed Department of Government Efficiency. Speculation also arose that Krishnan might depart from a16z by the end of the year to dedicate his efforts to projects associated with Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy at DOGE, collaborating with prominent figures such as Joe Lonsdale, Marc Andreessen, Bill Ackman, and Travis Kalanick.

On December 22, 2024, the incoming U.S. president Donald Trump appointed Krishnan as Senior White House Policy Advisor specializing in Artificial Intelligence. By February 2025, Krishnan joined Vice President JD Vance at the Paris AI Summit, an influential international forum on AI advancements, which included participation from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy alongside delegates representing nearly 100 nations.

In May 2025, ahead of President Trump's Middle East visit, Krishnan was part of a U.S. technology policy delegation engaging in "AI diplomacy" aimed at promoting American AI innovations with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and strengthening trade relations in AI technologies. He underscored the delegation's objective: "we want American A.I. to spread."

Krishnan collaborated with David Sacks and Michael Kratsios to draft the American AI Action Plan unveiled in July 2025. This executive plan emphasizes funding for the international scaling of U.S.-developed AI models while ensuring model neutrality. The Washington Post praised it as a "bold action" to sustain American leadership in AI and as a continuation of efforts to dismantle regulatory obstacles impeding AI development.

During the 2025 POLITICO AI & Tech Summit, Krishnan characterized national AI progress as "an existential race with China," promoting innovation driven by the private sector and cautioning that excessive government regulation could weaken U.S. competitiveness. Later that year at the Axios AI+ Summit, he framed the U.S.-China competition in AI as a battle for market dominance, defining success in terms of a vital "business strategy."

The Aarthi and Sriram Show and other media

In early 2021, Krishnan and his spouse, Aarthi Ramamurthy, initiated a Clubhouse talk series centered on candid discussions about startups, venture capital, and cryptocurrencies. Elon Musk’s initial appearance on the Good Time Show was credited as breaking Clubhouse’s user cap by swiftly surpassing the 5,000-participant limit. This episode featured Musk interrogating Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev regarding the GameStop trading incident. By December 2021, their show had amassed over 187,000 subscribers, while their individual accounts collectively contributed an additional 735,000 followers. Prominent guests included Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Diane von Fürstenberg, Tony Hawk, MrBeast, and A.R. Rahman.

Transitioning in 2022 to YouTube, the Good Time Show evolved into a podcast named The Aarthi and Sriram Show, offering both audio and video formats. By early 2023, this podcast exceeded one million downloads and secured a partnership with iHeartMedia.

Personal life

Krishnan is married to Aarthi Ramamurthy, a serial entrepreneur and co-host of The Aarthi and Sriram Show. Their connection began in 2003 during college through a Yahoo! chat room centered on a coding project. They started dating in 2006 and chose to elope in 2010.

External links

• The Aarthi and Sriram Show (previously known as The Good Time Show) (YouTube)
• Official site for The Aarthi and Sriram Show