Education
The US announces a $1 billion for AI and quantum computing research
According to several reports, the United States government today announces $1 trillion in additional funding for multidisciplinary AI and quantum computing research centres. A total of 12 hubs, each integrated into different federal government agencies, will be funded. They will cover a variety of subjects from the use of machine learning for atmosphere and ocean science to the speed of high-energy quantum system physics simulations.
The investment is part of the White House's slow push for new technologies to be financed.
Many policy consultants worry America falls behind rivals like China in IA and quantum research and warn that these technologies are crucial to both economic development and national security.
The comparison of US and Chinese expenditure on technologies such as AI is extremely difficult because funding and research in this field is diffuse. Although China has announced ambition to lead the world in AI by 2030, America continues to outspend its military financing (which increasingly includes AI research), while US technology companies like Google and Microsoft remain the leading global players in artificial intelligence.
Today's news will probably be presented by the administration of Trump as a balance to its dismal reputation for supporting scientific research. For four consecutive years, the government budgets have proposed broad reductions in federal research including work on urgent topics such as climate change. Only the areas of artificial intelligence and quantum computing have seen increased investment with their overt connections with military prowess and global geopolitics.
The US Chief of Technology Officer Michael Kratsios, according to the Wall Street Journal It is absolutely imperative that the United States continues to lead the world in AI and quantum,
In terms of how we today invest, investigate, develop and use these cutting edge technologies, we will shape American economic prosperity and national security.
About 625 million dollars of today's funding will go to quantum information science research in five energy-related centers (DOE). Seven AI initiatives, two under the supervision of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and five through the National Science Foundation ( NSF), will also provide additional $140 million for investments. In the form of "tech-service donations," private technology companies such as IBM and Microsoft contribute $300 million, reports WSJ, likely with the meaning of cloud computing resources access.
