Trump Administration Unveils $5 Billion AI for Science Initiative
The United States will invest $5 billion to address longstanding scientific challenges across multiple fields using artificial intelligence, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday. The initiative will involve 15 federal agencies, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, Transportation, Defense, and Interior, according to a statement.
The funding will be used to identify root causes of chronic diseases, accelerate drug discovery, and develop longer-lasting building materials, among other tasks. Scientists will gain access to the Department of Energy's supercomputers, AI tools, and specialized datasets to run experiments using algorithms, said Michael Kratsios, chief technology adviser to President Donald Trump, in an interview with Reuters.
Overhaul of Federal Research Funding
The Trump administration also plans to overhaul how the US government funds federal research by supporting individual scientists and the use of AI, rather than universities, according to a White House report released Tuesday night, authored by Kratsios. This shift would give the administration more control over how money is allocated. "Federal support for science must be politically accountable," the report stated.
During his second term, Trump has sought to exert greater control over federal research dollars. However, federal courts have pushed back, with an appeals panel ruling in January that the administration cannot cut federal grant funding from the National Institutes of Health to universities engaged in scientific and medical research.
Leveraging Government Data for AI Models
AI models require data to identify patterns, generate predictions, and automate decisions. The US government holds some of the world's largest datasets, including records on chemicals, critical minerals, and patient health. The $5 billion research initiative aims to train AI models on this information and use algorithms to answer scientific questions, Kratsios explained.
Microsoft will donate $40 million in AI computing credits over three years to support the effort, according to a company statement. The White House is coordinating the involvement of various agencies to make them part of this larger AI for science initiative, Kratsios added.
