White House Removes AI Official After Four Days Over Anthropic Ties
The Commerce Department's Center for AI Standards and Innovation hired and fired an artificial intelligence researcher in four days this week, citing concerns about his previous employer.
Collin Burns, who worked at the AI company Anthropic, started Monday and was pushed out Thursday by White House direction, according to four people with knowledge of the situation. Senior White House officials had not been briefed on Burns's selection before his hiring, one person said.
The administration has clashed publicly with Anthropic over military access to its AI systems. President Trump called the company a "RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY" in recent months.
The Talent Problem
The quick reversal reflects a core challenge facing federal AI recruitment: most expertise lives in private industry, not government or academia. Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google dominate the field, leaving few outsiders with deep technical knowledge.
Burns held a PhD in computer science from UC Berkeley and had worked at OpenAI before joining Anthropic in late 2024. He had given up stock options and relocated for the government position, according to Dean Ball, a former Trump administration AI adviser.
Ball called the removal "a dumb but predictable own goal" on social media, noting that Burns had been "rewarded by his country with a punch in the face."
A Replacement Named
Chris Fall, a scientist with a career spanning federal agencies and academia, replaced Burns. The Commerce Department said Fall "brings the scientific leadership needed to ensure America leads the world in evaluating frontier AI models."
The center, originally launched by the Biden administration as the AI Safety Institute, now operates under Trump's rebranding as the Center for AI Standards and Innovation. It assesses national security risks posed by new AI systems, including Anthropic's Mythos model.
Thawing Relations
Signs suggest the administration's relationship with Anthropic may be improving. The White House hosted Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for talks last week. The two sides continue battling in court, however, over the administration's decision to label Anthropic a national security risk.
Anthropic's Mythos system has forced federal officials to confront computer security risks posed by advanced AI, particularly regarding hacking capabilities.
For government professionals navigating AI policy and implementation, understanding these personnel and policy shifts matters. The AI for Government resource covers public sector applications and governance, while the AI Learning Path for Policy Makers addresses how officials can make informed decisions on AI technology and regulation.
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