CAISI director Chris Fall resigns after three months

Chris Fall, the director of the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), resigned on Monday, July 20, 2026, after just three months leading the federal government's primary agency for testing advanced artificial intelligence models. The Commerce Department confirmed his departure but did not provide a reason. A department official indicated that Fall's appointment had always been intended as a temporary solution.

Arvind Raman, the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which houses CAISI, will serve as acting director while a permanent replacement is sought. Raman, a former engineering dean at Purdue University who was sworn in to lead NIST on June 30, is now leading the search for a new director, with an appointment expected within the coming weeks. Officials stated that the agency's testing work and ongoing evaluations will continue uninterrupted.

Fall was appointed in late April following a restructuring of what was previously called the U.S. AI Safety Institute. His appointment came after the administration's initial choice, former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Collin Burns, was reportedly pushed out during the onboarding process....