A well-known artificial intelligence researcher, formerly an executive at OpenAI and Anthropic, has been “fired” from his position at a major federal artificial intelligence regulatory agency just days before his new job.
Collin Burns started earlier this week to lead the center for artificial intelligence standards and innovation, but was fired by the White House on Thursday. The Washington Post. Officials are reportedly concerned about Burns’ ties to his former employer, Anthropic, which has had high-profile disputes with the Trump administration in recent months.
President Trump called the company After that in February “leftist nut jobs” refused to remove provides protection in AI for use in control and autonomous weapons. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Anthropic a “supply chain risk to national security.” Writing in X.
one The Post‘s sources claimed that several senior White House officials were not briefed on the appointment before taking the job.
The AI Security Institute was created in November 2023 at the request of President Joe Biden, before the Trump administration changed its name to the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI). The body is designed to serve as a point of contact between the US government and private AI firms, facilitating things like testing and collaborative research.
Chris Fall, the former director of the energy department’s Office of Science, will now take over the department’s leadership role, sources said.
Recommended by our editors
Dean Ball, another prominent artificial intelligence researcher, said Burns was “rewarded with a slap in the face” by his country after the move. a post On X.
There is no clear end in sight to the feud between Anthropic and the Trump administration. Anthropic sued the Pentagon in March over “supply chain risk.” destination. But according to CNBC, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with White House officials last Friday and President Trump later said. interview He told Squawk Box he had “very good talks with them,” adding, “I think we’re going to get along well with them.”
About our specialist
Experience
I am a reporter covering the weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines at BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar and Decrypt Media.
I’ve been a PC gamer since you have to manually install games from multiple CD-ROMs. As a reporter, I am passionate about the intersection of technology and human life. I’ve covered everything from cryptocurrency scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, Russia and foreign affairs.
Read Full Bio
