The Person in Charge of Testing Tech for US Spies Has Resigned
The head of the activity of advanced research projects of the US government (IARPA) leaves the unit this month to take a job with a quantum IT company, Wired learned.
The departure waiting for Rick Muller of IARPA intervenes in the midst of wider efforts to reduce the intelligence community of the United States, including the office of the National Intelligence Director (ODNI), which supervises IARPA. A person familiar with Muller’s plans confirmed his departure from IARPA.
Born following terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, IARPA is responsible for testing AI, quantum computer science and other emerging technologies that could help the missions of spy agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.
The Trump administration is said to have moved to reduce the workforce of intelligence agencies as part of the president’s general efforts to dismantle diversity programs and rationalize government operations. The influential republicans of the American Senate also recently proposed legislation which would reduce several ODNI programs, although IARPA is not among the objectives listed.
Muller, a long -standing chemist and researcher, had supervised certain quantum IT programs at the Ministry of Energy before taking IARPA films in April 2024. His last day at IARPA will be on July 11, according to the person familiar with his plans. He joined Ionq, which is part of a race for marketing quantum computer science. Ionq refused to comment.
The technologies used by espionage agencies are often wrapped in secrets. But a large part of IARPA’s work is public. He has financed dozens of research projects in universities and other laboratories across the country, including efforts to improve facial and speech recognition systems. In April, Muller told the Federal News Network that the risk of cybersecurity of large languages models would be a priority for future research.
The Trump administration has dismissed workers and reduced government subsidies for research in several other agencies, causing demonstrations on a national level and endangering the future of science. The ODNI is looking for a budget of approximately $ 82 billion for the coming year, an increase of approximately 11.5% compared to the amount requested for 2025. But Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, praised its 25% workforce this year.
Last week, Senator Tom Cotton, who chairs the senatorial intelligence committee, described the Gabbard agency as a “bureaucratic approval” during which “coordinators coordinate with other coordinators”. He called for cuts and other changes which he described as “vital to protect our country from the wide range of threats we continue to cope”.
Cotton spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comments on the senator’s opinions on IARPA. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
IARPA was modeled on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, which has long been considered one of the most advanced research and development units of the federal government with successful betting on vaccines, monitoring of location and linguistic translation.
