Chris Fall, the Trump administration’s top AI safety official, has resigned after just three months on the job, according to a Commerce Department spokesperson.
Fall is director of the AI Standards Innovation Center and has been a key figure in the federal government’s self-review process for Frontier AI models. CAISI is a Department of Commerce agency that serves as a key liaison for industry and leads commercial AI testing and research.
His resignation comes as the White House and lawmakers across the country grapple with how to regulate emerging technology.
“Following Chris’s departure, NIST Director Dr. Arvind Raman will continue to oversee CAISI and serve as CAISI acting director,” a spokesperson told POLITICO. The company, like Business Insider, is part of the Axel Springer Global Reporter Network.
Mr. Raman is also leading the search for a new CAISI executive director, to be announced in the coming weeks, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wants someone with deep knowledge and expertise in AI, said a Commerce official granted anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
POLITICO previously reported that after Commerce imposed export controls on Anthropic in June, Fall was closely involved in discussions with Anthropic executives about how to restore access to the company’s advanced Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models.
He was appointed to head CAISI in April and was an Energy Department official during President Trump’s first term.
Axios previously reported the details of Fall’s departure.
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