Nuclear engineer Ethan Klein has been confirmed by the Senate as the United States’ chief technology officer, becoming the first person to formally hold the role since 2021. The confirmation came late Thursday as part of a package of nominations, with a 53–43 vote. Klein will also serve as an associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
As U.S. CTO, Dr. Klein, who was nominated for the role back in March, will lead and coordinate national policy efforts to advance American leadership across critical and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nuclear energy, and biotechnology. From the White House, he will be responsible for helping align federal research and development priorities, strengthening public-private collaboration, and ensuring technological advances translate into real-world benefits for the public.
“Thank you to President Donald J. Trump and 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. The Golden Age of American Innovation has only just begun,” said Dr. Klein.
Klein brings a background that blends advanced scientific research with hands-on technology policy experience. He previously served as a policy advisor for emerging technologies at the Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2017 to 2021, where he worked on federal strategies related to AI, quantum computing, and other advanced capabilities with national security and economic implications.
Most recently, Klein has been pursuing an MBA at Stanford University while working as a summer associate at Lazard, focusing on the aerospace and defense sector. Earlier in his career, he spent five years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developing nuclear technologies for arms control and nonproliferation under a National Nuclear Security Administration fellowship. His work in nuclear safeguards and international security earned him the Arms Control Association’s 2019 Arms Control Person of the Year Award.
Klein has also held positions at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, contributing to weapons development, stewardship, and national security initiatives. In addition, he has been a Defense Innovation Scholar at Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, where he focused on strengthening ties between government agencies and the technology sector.
With a Ph.D. in nuclear science and engineering from MIT and undergraduate degrees in chemistry and physics, Klein enters the CTO role with deep technical credentials and a track record at the intersection of science, policy, and national security—an increasingly critical space as emerging technologies shape the future of governance, defense, and economic competitiveness.
— WHOSTP47 (@WHOSTP47) December 19, 2025
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)
