Tech Council Made of CEOs, Not Scientists

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology is usually a quiet group. It gets noticed only when something goes wrong. The new council was announced after a long delay, and most of its members are not scientists. The list shows nine seats still empty. The people who were chosen so far come from big tech companies and investment firms. Names include a Google co‑founder, the head of Dell, an Oracle executive, and a leader at Meta. Many others have similar backgrounds in business. Only a few members have science training. Two of them earned doctorates from MIT and now run nuclear start‑ups. A Nobel Prize winner in quantum physics is also on the panel, and he has worked with Google’s quantum team. Still, their experience is mainly in commercial technology rather than basic research.The council’s focus statement says it will look at how new technologies affect jobs and the economy. That suggests an emphasis on marketable inventions instead of laboratory science. During a previous administration, the council produced reports on antibiotic resistance and advanced manufacturing. Those topics required deep scientific knowledge. The current group may not have the expertise to tackle such problems. Because many seats remain open, scientists could be added later. However, the current makeup shows that fundamental research is not a priority right now.