The CIA’s pioneer Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Nand Mulchandani, readies himself for the upcoming Trump administration after his inauguration in April 2022. As a Silicon Valley veteran and former CTO and acting director at the Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, Mulchandani’s appointment bolstered CIA’s tech profile.
As the Trump administration assembles in Washington, potentially chock full of tech entrepreneurs and innovators, we converse with Mulchandani about this paradigm shift and its potential implications. With the unexpected change in command, Mulchandani wasn’t selected by the president, and soon his boss, CIA Director William Burns, will step down, making way for John Ratcliffe, a former congressman from Texas.
On the tech front, Mulchandani anticipates no massive jolts relating to technology and China. The focus remains on utilizing technology to address economic competition and national security. Furthermore, he highlights that the incoming administration would likely uphold these priorities.
Responding to the cost-shrinking endeavors by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Mulchandani stresses on technology enablement of government processes. He avoids diving into specifics but emphasizes tech’s promising role in amplifying government operations’ precision and scale.
Mulchandani’s key recommendations to the incoming administration include an emphasis on data insights and AI, fostering Silicon Valley companies venturing into defense tech, and simplifying the adoption process of commercial tech. Further, he underlines the need for transparent dialogue with external investors, VCs, and start-ups to source innovative solutions.
When questioned about his willingness to continue serving under the new administration, Mulchandani admits constant travel between Silicon Valley and Washington has taken its toll. He expresses concern over the deficit of Silicon Valley representatives in DC and concludes that creating a CIA hub on the West Coast could be a beneficial prospect.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
