Aneesh Chopra appointed to National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee

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Aneesh Chopra, former Chief Technology Officer in the Obama administration, was recruited by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, along with 3 other experts, to the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC), which advises the President and the White House on a range of issues related to artificial intelligence (AI).

The committee, launched in 2022, provides recommendations on topics including the current state of U.S. AI competitiveness, the state of science around AI, and AI workforce issues. The committee also is responsible for advice regarding the management and coordination of the initiative itself, including its balance of activities and funding, a September 5, 2024, press release from the Commerce Department said.

“Empowering our nation’s top talent in AI across academia, industry, non-profits and civil society is fundamental to the responsible development and deployment of this generation-defining technology,” Secretary Raimondo is quoted saying in the press release. “That’s why NAIAC’s work is so critical to our collaborative effort to mitigate the risks so we can harness the benefits of artificial intelligence.”

The 4 new appointees include, Chopra; Christopher Howard, executive vice president and chief operating officer of ASU; Angie Cooper, Executive Vice President of Heartland Forward; and Beth Cobert, former President of the Markle Foundation; previously she served as Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

According to Raimondo, “These new committee members represent some of the best in their field, and I am confident will play an important part in helping NAIAC to meet its mission to provide the expertise and guidance necessary to maintain U.S. global leadership on AI.”

This announcement follows the first 27 appointments to the National AI Advisory Committee in 2022 after its establishment in response to the National AI Initiative Act of 2020.

Chopra and the other latest appointees, will serve three-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms at the discretion of the secretary. The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides administrative support to the committee.

Chopra is the Chief Strategy Officer at Arcadia, a healthcare data platform that in 2024 acquired CareJourney, the company Chopra co-founded a decade prior. In his role at Arcadia, Chopra advocates for interoperability and data-driven approaches that help providers, payers, and

As the first U.S. Chief Technology Officer under the Obama Administration, Chopra is credited with spearheadomg initiatives to modernize the nation’s healthcare system using electronic health records and health information exchanges.

Chopra also served as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology under Governor Tim Kaine, where he championed the growth of the state’s technology sector, enhanced educational opportunities through technology, and drove innovation in government operations. As a public servant, Aneesh fostered better public-private collaboration, a theme central to his 2014 book, “Innovative State: How New Technologies Can Transform Government.”

He’s been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and one of the top 25 “Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers” by Government Technology magazine.

Chopra serves on the boards of IntegraConnect, Virginia Center for Health Innovation, and the George Mason Innovation Advisory Council. He earned his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School and holds a bachelor’s degree in health policy from Johns Hopkins University.