Daniel Castro
Vice President and Director, Center for Data Innovation
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Daniel Castro is vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and director of ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation.
A recognized authority on technology and innovation policy, Castro has written extensively on issues ranging from Internet policy and digital governance to artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. His work has been widely cited in leading outlets such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and he speaks regularly at major policy forums in the United States and internationally, with engagements across Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Vietnam, India, and China, among others.
Castro’s thought leadership extends to advisory roles at the highest levels of government and public policymaking. He has testified before Congress on a diverse range of issues, including AI, Internet governance, data privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory reform, among others. In 2015, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appointed him to the Commerce Data Advisory Council. In 2016, he delivered the keynote speech at the White House Disability and Inclusive Technology Summit. He currently serves on the Public Policy Advisory Board of EMPOWER, a multi-million-euro research program focused on data governance; the Future of XR Advisory Council, which defines the XR ecosystem; and the Data Policy Advisory Council, where leading experts guide industry on cutting-edge data issues. From 2015 to 2022, Castro also contributed a monthly column to Government Technology, an award-winning magazine covering digital innovation in the public sector. In recognition of his influence, he was named one of FedScoop’s “Top 25 Most Influential People Under 40 in Government and Tech” in 2013.
In addition to his thought leadership as an author, speaker, and policy adviser, Castro has shaped the global conversation on emerging technologies by orchestrating high-profile convenings where policymakers, industry leaders, and academics debate and collaborate on critical issues at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and society. He has created and directed events such as the annual AR/VR Policy Conference (2021–present), D3: Deepfakes, Disinformation, and Democracy (2021), the European AI Policy Conference (2020), Data Innovation Day (2014, 2017), and EU Data Innovation Day (2017, 2018).
At ITIF, Castro has also directed and contributed to numerous federal research initiatives. As project director for the Military Heroes Initiative and the Accessible Voting Technology Initiative, both funded by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, he brought together multi-disciplinary teams to address challenges in election administration and accessibility. By translating complex technical and policy issues into practical, innovative solutions, these efforts generated significant advances—including prototypes, pilot projects, and research findings such as the first 3D-printed election hardware.
Before joining ITIF, Castro worked as an IT analyst at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he audited IT security and management controls at federal agencies. Earlier in his career, he was a visiting scientist at the Software Engineering Institute in Pittsburgh, where he developed virtual training simulations to provide clients with hands-on experience using the latest information security tools.
Castro holds a B.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University and an M.S. in information security technology and management from Carnegie Mellon University.
Research Areas
Recent Publications
How Some States Are Resisting Unnecessary AI Regulations
Lawmakers in Montana, New Hampshire, and Idaho are advancing “right to compute” laws to protect individuals and businesses from limits on their ability to use computational tools and AI systems.
The UK’s Online Safety Act’s Predictable Consequences Are a Cautionary Tale for America
Rather than following the UK’s lead on children’s online safety, U.S. policymakers should learn from their mistakes and chart a better path that skillfully preserves user privacy, limits collateral damage, and removes the incentives for online services to over-remove lawful content.
Don’t Let Washington Turn Tech Companies Into Amtrak
The Trump administration doubled down on its push for the federal government to take financial stakes or other commercial interests in major U.S. companies—a policy that would weaken American competitiveness, invite political manipulation, and undermine the very goals of U.S. industrial strategy.
Letting US Companies Sell Second-Tier Chips to China Is the Right Move
The Trump administration should maintain export controls where they clearly advance national security. But it should also ensure that U.S. companies can compete globally, reinvest in innovation, and remain central to the technologies that will shape the future.
Five Reasons Why Critics Were Wrong About the AI Moratorium
The Senate's decision to remove the 10-year AI moratorium is a major setback for U.S. leadership in AI. The vote isn’t surprising given the criticism of the moratorium, but those critiques are misguided, and here's why.
Fragmented AI Laws Will Slow Federal IT Modernization in the US
Fragmented and conflicting state AI regulations threaten to slow federal IT modernization, and a proposed 10-year moratorium aims to create a unified national framework to support innovation and maintain U.S. leadership in AI.
Comments to the Federal Railroad Administration Regarding Modernizing Inspection Requirements
ITIF respectfully urges the FRA to approve the requested relief and to initiate broader regulatory modernization that embraces autonomous safety technologies.
Consumers Need a Moratorium on State Retail Delivery Fees
A patchwork of state and local retail delivery fees that act as hidden taxes on everyday purchases. Without federal action, these fees could spread rapidly—making it more expensive for Americans to buy everything from groceries to school supplies.
Congress Should Preempt Onslaught of State AI Laws
Congress should act to preempt state laws that impose broad requirements on the development and use of AI.
Overly Stringent Export Controls Chip Away at American AI Leadership
While the U.S. government is right to prevent U.S. companies from selling advanced AI technology to the Chinese military, cutting U.S. companies off from the entire Chinese market is a cure worse than the disease. It will ultimately harm both U.S. national security and economic interests.
Canada Should Harness Its AI Advantage, Not Squander It
In an era when AI is poised to improve everything from crop yields to cancer detection, Canada’s central priority should be accelerating AI adoption to enhance economic prosperity and quality of life, not erecting barriers to innovation through overly precautionary regulation.
Testimony to the Alaska State Legislature Regarding AI, Deepfakes, Cybersecurity, and Data Transfers
Advancements in AI are creating many opportunities to use the technology for beneficial purposes across virtually every sector, and people will undoubtedly find many useful applications for AI in elections and government agencies in the years ahead.
Recent Events and Presentations
AR/VR Policy Conference 2025
The fifth annual AR/VR Policy Conference presented by Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and the XR Association took place on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. Watch the conference livestream.
Geofencing AI Chips: Evaluating “Call Home” Mandates for Semiconductor Security
Watch now for an expert discussion surrounding the implications of location verification requirements for AI chips.
Addressing Concerns Over AI’s Energy Consumption: Responsible AI Use and Policy Support Measures
Daniel Castro speaks about AI, energy use, and public policy at the Climate-Energy Summit Seoul 2025 (CESS 2025) hosted by Climate Change Center in Seoul, South Korea.
FRA Waiver Reform and Driving Regulatory Innovation for Safer Railroading
Daniel Castro speaks about how the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) can use automation and innovation to improve safety at a webinar hosted by the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure.
AI and the Architecture of Modern Economies and Societies
Daniel Castro speaks on artificial intelligence and its influence on economies and societies at the GLOBSEC Forum 2025 in Prague.
Striking the Right Balance Between AI Regulation and Innovation
Daniel Castro speaks on a panel at the "AI for Prosperity: Innovation and Economic Growth in the Americas" conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
How Americans Feel About AI—and Why It Matters for Policy
Watch now for a timely discussion by ITIF's Center for Data Innovation and Public First surrounding new polling data exploring how U.S. public sentiment toward AI is evolving. The conversation unpacks where Americans see promise or peril, how their views have shifted over the past year, and what these perspectives mean for lawmakers, business leaders, and the future of AI policy.
Advancing Global AI Safety through Systematic Monitoring
Daniel Castro delivers a keynote speech on global cooperation around monitoring AI incidents at the ZGC Forum in Beijing, China.
Exploring AI’s Impact: Policy, Innovation, and Governance
Daniel Castro hosts a workshop on AI policy with thought leaders at the Atlas Network Latin America Liberty Forum in Rio de Janeiro.
Balancing National Security and Economic Competitiveness in AI Export Controls
Watch now for a panel discussion on the proposed AI export control framework’s implications for U.S. competitiveness, the global AI ecosystem, and national security. Panelists will discuss the risks of the proposed approach, explore alternative policy strategies, and discuss the path forward to balance economic, security, and foreign policy objectives.
From Data Policy to Practice: Bridging the Gap
Daniel Castro speaks at a webinar on the national and international policies shaping data management and use hosted by EMPOWER, a research programme sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland.
Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on National Security and the Economy
Daniel Castro speaks about the impact of emerging technologies on national security and the economy at the Margalla Dialogue in Islamabad, hosted by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).
