The US government has announced over $1 billion in funding to accelerate research, development, and adoption of artificial intelligence and quantum information science technologies.
The funding has been issued by White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the US Department of Energy.
The funds will enable the establishment of 12 new AI and quantum information science (QIS) research institutes across the US.
The funding will go towards NSF-led AI Research Institutes and DOE QIS Research Centers over the next five years.
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NSF AI Research Institutes and DoE QIS Research Centers will ensure workforce development in the two fields to spur cutting edge innovation, support regional economic growth, and advance American leadership in these critical industries of the future.
The DoE is awarding $625 million over five years to its Argonne, Brookhaven, Fermi, Oak Ridge and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories to establish the QIS Research Centers.
This award was met with $340 million in contributions from the private sector and academia.
The NSF and federal partners, including the US Department of Agriculture, are awarding $140 million for seven NSF-led AI Research Institutes over five years to accelerate a number of AI R&D areas, such as machine-learning, synthetic manufacturing, precision agriculture, and forecasting prediction.
The funding is part of President Trump’s commitment to double investment in AI and QIS research and development over two years.
NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, said: “NSF’s long history of investment in AI research and workforce development paved the way for many of the breakthrough commercial technologies permeating and driving society today.
“NSF invests more than $500 million in AI research annually. We are supporting seven NSF-led AI Institutes this year, with more to follow, creating hubs for academia, industry, and government to collaborate on profound discoveries and develop new capabilities to advance American competitiveness for decades to come.”
Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar, adds: “The Department of Energy is proud to be in partnership with a significant breadth of participants to support Quantum Information Science Centers around the country, and by allocating generous contributions from these participants we can continue to further scientific discovery through quantum technologies.
“Our Nation continues to lead in the development of industries of the future, and these five centers will marshal the full strength of our National Laboratories, universities, and our public and private sector partnerships.”
