Head of US AI Safety Institute to leave as Trump shifts course

The top official at the US AI Safety Institute is stepping down, raising new uncertainty about the future of a key government group focused on artificial intelligence under the Trump administration.

Elizabeth Kelly, the director of the safety institute and a face of US AI policy on the world stage, is set to leave her position by the end of the week, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private information.

Kelly and the safety institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Housed under the Commerce Department, the US AI Safety Institute works with academics and developers to identify and mitigate risks from cutting-edge AI systems. It was created after former President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2023 calling for leading AI companies to share safety test results and other critical information with the federal government.

The Biden administration tapped Kelly, a former White House aide, to lead the institute nearly a year ago. Her departure comes as world leaders and tech executives head to Paris for an AI summit to discuss the future of the technology. Vice-President J.D. Vance will attend the event, according to a person familiar with the matter. Kelly and the safety institute helped host a similar gathering in San Francisco in November, shortly after Trump won the election.