Bloomberg reports that U.S. President Trump is expected to announce at a summit in Washington on the 8th that he has received a funding commitment of up to US$2.4 billion from Silicon Valley giants to support scientific research. This is the latest move by the U.S. government to promote and apply artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the White House, the donation will be used to provide AI tools and computing points needed for the U.S. government’s Genesis mission, an initiative designed to use AI technology to advance research and support more than 15 federal agencies. Announced contributions include: Nvidia (Nvidia) US$1 billion, AMD (AMD) US$500 million, OpenAI US$200 million, and Anthropic and Alphabet's Google each US$150 million.
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Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), said that this latest plan "will inject billions of dollars into our science ecosystem to realize the new scientific opportunities that are emerging today."
At the summit called "Science: A New Golden Age," the Trump administration will launch a series of technology-related initiatives, including plans to invest more than $100 million in education projects for American researchers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
However, it is unclear how exactly these promised computing power will be reserved for users focused on scientific research at a time when hyperscalers are already facing huge demands and high prices for computing power.
The background of this event comes at a time when the relationship between the technology community and the White House is once again tense, especially on the issue of immigration. On the same day that Trump was preparing to praise Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and other technology executives at the summit, Vice President J.D. Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced that they would suspend Microsoft and other companies from participating in a visa program due to suspected fraud.
Vance and Sandlin singled out Microsoft and companies such as Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini as violators of the visa abuse program. The program originally allowed U.S. employers to assist foreign workers in applying for permanent residency.
The U.S. government has been urging technology companies to reduce their reliance on foreign workers and invest more resources in training and hiring Americans. Specific measures include taking action to restrict the use of H-1B visas, which are the main channel for the introduction of overseas scientific and technological talents.
Despite these frictions, the tech community generally views Trump as a champion of its priorities, and the gathering on the 8th highlighted the close ties between the Trump administration and Silicon Valley.
Trump’s policies have eased tax and regulatory burdens on technology companies, helping them attract new investment and accelerate the deployment of AI infrastructure. Trump has also recruited technology industry leaders, most notably Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, to help him reshape the U.S. government.
It is worth noting that Trump has always been an enthusiastic promoter of AI (which he renamed "superintelligence") and has vigorously promoted the development prospects of this technology. But on the eve of the November midterm elections, this attitude of fully embracing AI also comes with political risks.
Trump and his Republican Party are facing voter dissatisfaction with their economic agenda and handling of the war with Iran as high living costs squeeze household budgets. AI has become a flashpoint in the debate, with many communities beginning to oppose the construction of data centers, arguing that they drive up energy costs and place a burden on local water resources. Voters are also anxious about the impact of AI technology on employment.
People in the technology community have also warned about the existential threat AI poses to humanity. However, Trump has insisted on a lax regulatory approach, dismissing AI safety concerns as a hoax and warning that imposing tighter restrictions will cause the United States to lose to China in the race to develop the technology.
Other high-tech executives that Trump will commend on the 8th include Musk, Huida CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, Alphabet co-founder Sergey Brin, and AMD CEO Lisa Su, who will be awarded the National Medal of Science. In addition, he will also award the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell.
