CISA's chief AI officer resigned last month

The chief artificial intelligence officer at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency resigned from her post earlier this year amid the mass layoffs sanctioned by the Trump administration.

Lisa Einstein, who was named inaugural chief AI officer at CISA in August of last year, resigned in February, according to people familiar with the matter. Einstein was classified as a probationary employee while working as chief AI officer, but she ultimately resigned of her own volition amid the changes occurring in the agency, according to one person familiar who was granted anonymity to be candid about the details. 

She was never placed on administrative leave, but did take previously scheduled leave prior to resigning, the person said. Along with other employees, she was offered a deferred resignation, but ultimately declined to take it. WIRED first reported news of her departure.

Shortly before her resignation, Einstein’s team was slated to expand. CISA was hiring approximately five new staff members for the AI team, an effort that was halted during the layoffs and federal hiring freeze instituted by the Trump administration. 

Einstein’s appointment to the CAIO position was announced in August 2024 and centered on advancing the usage of AI tools in CISA’s mission spaces, particularly surrounding digital threat monitoring and mitigation. 

“I care deeply about CISA’s mission — if we succeed, the critical systems that Americans rely on every day will become safer, more reliable, and more capable,” Einstein said in 2024. “AI tools could accelerate our progress. But we will only reap their benefits and avoid harms from their misapplication or abuse if we all work together to prioritize safety, security, and trustworthiness in the development and deployment of AI tools.”

A CISA spokesperson told Nextgov/FCW that although it declined to comment on the details surrounding specific personnel, the agency “remains steadfast in supporting the Administration’s efforts to advance AI innovation for the American people in a way that is secure and resilient.”

The spokesperson added that CISA is constantly assessing how it collaborates with external partners on AI and other issues in order to “ensure our actions deliver maximum impact while maintaining responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

Regarding the status of CISA’s AI office, the spokesperson said “we have talented and dedicated experts across the agency working on this important issue.”

Einstein’s departure from CISA follows ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to establish its AI policy. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office rescinding former President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order on AI, which mandated that agencies establish CAIO roles. Trump then signed another order a few days later calling for the development of an AI action plan.

Vice President JD Vance has spoken twice about the administration’s optimistic stance on AI’s potential to benefit society and the plan to make the U.S. the global leader in AI innovation.

Industry partners had vocalized their support for increased federal adoption of AI systems in their comments on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy AI Action Plan. 

Nextgov/FCW cybersecurity reporter David DiMolfetta contributed to this report.