On March 26, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the appointment of 13 new members to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a panel tasked with advising the White House on critical science and technology issues. The composition of this newly formed council has sparked considerable discussion and debate, primarily because it is overwhelmingly dominated by technology industry executives, with just a single academic scientist included.
Among the new appointees are some of the most prominent figures in the global technology sector. Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and chief executive officer of Meta (formerly Facebook), is a notable member, alongside Larry Ellison, executive chairman of Oracle, and Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google. Other executives leading major technology hardware companies also join the panel, including Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Lisa Su of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Michael Dell of Dell Technologies. Collectively, these tech leaders represent a combined wealth exceeding $900 billion, underscoring the enormous influence of billionaire entrepreneurs in the council's makeup.
Several of these executives hold advanced academic credentials in scientific and engineering disciplines. For instance, three of the CEOs earned PhDs from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Lisa Su holds a doctorate in electrical engineering, while Jacob DeWitte and Bob Mumgaard, both leaders of nuclear energy startups, have specialized degrees in nuclear engineering and applied plasma physics, respectively. However, despite these scientific qualifications, the group remains largely industry-centric.
The sole academic researcher on the panel is John Martinis, a quantum physicist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics last year for his work on macroscopic quantum phenomena. Martinis expressed his honor at joining the committee. Laura Greene, a physicist at Florida State University and a former PCAST member during the Biden administration, praised Martinis and Lisa Su as "outstanding" figures bridging science and technology.
Nevertheless, the panel's composition has drawn criticism from the scientific community. Vaughan Cooper, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Pittsburgh, voiced concerns about the lack of biological scientists and the minimal university representation on the council. He warned that this imbalance leaves the United States ill-prepared for advancements in biotechnology, an area he sees as essential and where the nation is already trailing.
It is important to note that the current membership is not necessarily final. According to Kenny Evans, a science policy expert at Rice University and co-founder of the White House Scientists Archive, President Trump has the authority under a 2025 presidential order to appoint up to 11 additional members to PCAST. Thus, the council's composition could still evolve.
The White House has not provided immediate comments regarding the appointments.
PCAST plays a crucial role in shaping science policy by offering recommendations to the White House on diverse topics such as nutrition science, workforce development in scientific fields, and reviewing cross-agency research programs like the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development initiative. The council's work is often conducted through subcommittees, with reports prepared by the Science and Technology Policy Institute, a federally funded research and development center based in Washington, DC.
Looking back at previous administrations, the new council's makeup represents a significant shift. During Trump's first term (2017-2021), PCAST included 13 members excluding the chair, with a fairly balanced mix of seven academic scientists and six industry representatives. Under President Biden's administration (2021-2024), the panel expanded to 28 members, with 19 academic researchers and nine from industry and government. Historically, every PCAST since 2001, except those appointed by Trump's first term, has included at least 10 academic scientists. Thus, the current council's strong industry focus marks a departure from recent tradition.
Experts suggest that the makeup of PCAST often reflects the sitting president's priorities. Kenny Evans notes that the current group aligns closely with Trump's administration's focus on artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information, and nuclear fusion. These fields are listed as the top research and development priorities by the administration. The U.S. government aims to quadruple commercial nuclear power capacity by 2050, and in December 2025, a merger was announced between nuclear fusion company TAE Technologies and a firm co-owned by Trump, highlighting the administration's commitment to nuclear technologies.
Leadership of the new PCAST will be shared between David Sacks, Trump's designated AI czar and a venture capitalist, and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Kratsios announced the council on the social-media platform X, emphasizing that PCAST "unites America's brightest minds to advise the President on the most pressing national issues in science and technology." He affirmed the council's intent to focus on how emerging technologies impact American workers and how to maintain U.S. leadership during what he termed the "Golden Age of Innovation."
In summary, the newly appointed PCAST reflects a clear prioritization of technology industry leadership, particularly from billionaires and executives with expertise in AI, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. While this approach aligns with President Trump's stated research priorities, it has raised questions about the panel's readiness to address broader scientific challenges, especially in biology and biotechnology. The potential appointment of additional members may somewhat diversify the council, but as it stands, the balance heavily favors industry over academia, marking a notable departure from the composition of recent science advisory panels.
This development is particularly significant as the United States navigates complex scientific and technological landscapes that will shape economic competitiveness, national security, and public welfare. The decisions and recommendations of PCAST will influence how the government supports research, innovation, and workforce development in the coming years. Observers will be watching closely to see how this new council balances its industry-heavy makeup with the diverse scientific expertise needed to address the nation's multifaceted challenges.
This report was originally published by Nature magazine and authored by freelance journalist Dan Garisto. Nature, established in 1869, remains one of the world's premier multidisciplinary science journals, renowned for its rigorous peer-reviewed research and influence among policymakers and thought leaders globally.