Trump has big AI and quantum ambitions: this scientist’s job is to make them reality

Key Points:

• Darío Gil, under-secretary for science at the US Department of Energy (DoE), oversees AI and quantum science programs that the Trump administration prioritizes, despite broader federal cuts to science funding.
• The DoE aims to build the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2028 and is advancing the $600 million Genesis AI mission to develop an AI platform connecting national labs, supercomputers, and scientific instruments.
• The Genesis mission has generated significant interest, receiving a record 5,000 funding applications, with $293 million to be awarded soon, though some scientists remain skeptical about the focus on AI.
• Gil acknowledges concerns about cuts to basic science funding but attributes this to long-term shifts toward maintaining research facilities rather than Genesis itself, emphasizing that funding across disciplines will continue if projects incorporate AI aspects.
• Regarding AI safety, Gil supports collaboration between AI companies and government to proactively manage risks, contrasting with the administration’s generally hands-off regulatory stance except for recent actions like restricting foreign access to a major AI model.