Trump seeks to promote drones, IoT
washington — US President Donald Trump met with two dozen executives from technology companies and venture capital firms on Thursday for advice on how the government can promote emerging technologies such as drones and the internet of things (IoT).
“We want to remain No. 1,” Trump told the technology company leaders. “We’re on the verge of new technological revolutions that could improve virtually every aspect of our lives, creating vast new wealth for American companies and families.”
Executives including outgoing General Electric Co Chief Executive Officer Jeff Immelt, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, Sprint Corp CEO Marcelo Claure and venture capitalist Steve Case, the billionaire co-founder of AOL Inc, were invited to provide suggestions on how the administration should spur private innovation and set appropriate guidelines for new technologies.
In a public session open to reporters and television cameras, the president and corporate leaders offered fulsome praise for each other. Trump told Stephenson AT&T is doing “really a top job.”
Precision Hawk CEO Michael Chasen congratulated the president “on the great job you’ve been doing.”
The tech leaders were to hold breakout sessions on drones, connected devices and easing access to venture capital for startups outside traditional enclaves such as Silicon Valley, Deputy US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios told reporters on Wednesday.
Trump “will learn firsthand how these important technologies are reshaping modern life and what’s possible when our workers can fly over job sites, and when huge cell towers shrink to the size of pizza boxes,” he said.
The White House is using the
We want to remain No. 1. We’re on the verge of new technological revolutions that could improve virtually every aspect of our lives, creating vast new wealth for American companies and families Donald Trump, US President
week to highlight technology initiatives. Trump met on Monday with tech executives including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos to discuss ways to make the federal government more efficient. On Wednesday, the president visited Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to discuss the use of technology in agriculture.
While several CEOs of technology companies have been critical of some of Trump’s policies, particularly on immigration, they have flocked to the White House this week seeking to influence the government’s approach to technology. — AP