What you need to know about Trump’s meeting with tech CEOs
Top executives from Apple, Amazon.com, Microsoft, Google and other Silicon Valley titans met with President Trump on Monday as the White House kicked off an effort to improve the federal government's digital services for everyday Americans.
From upgrading slow, outdated websites to streamlining how veterans receive their health benefits, the administration said it wanted to hear ideas from leaders including Apple chief executive Tim Cook, Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos (who also owns The Washington Post), Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella and Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google's parent, Alphabet. One notable absence was that of Facebook, which did not participate reportedly because of scheduling conflicts.
Monday's gathering was the most closely watched assemblage of tech luminaries since Trump met with industry chief executives at Trump Tower in New York in December. Like the Obama administration, Trump's White House has been looking for ways to use technology to streamline government and supercharge its features for citizens. With many of the companies in the room having pioneered data-driven business practices, the White House is hoping some of that expertise will rub off.
Trump met with execs at 5 p.m. after several hours of workshops on cybersecurity, cloud computing and the recruitment of talent from the private sector, according to the day's prepared agenda. High-skilled immigration, a longtime priority for the industry, received special attention, as did drones, robots and the growing connectivity of everyday devices such as thermostats.
“Our goal is to lead a sweeping transformation of the federal government’s technology that will deliver dramatically better services for citizens,” Trump said as he opened the meeting. “We’re embracing big change, bold thinking, and outsider perspectives.”