US announces $1 billion research for AI and quantum for national security

The United States government is announcing $1 billion in increased funding for multidisciplinary AI and quantum computing research hubs today, according to various reports.

A total of 12 hubs will be financed, each embedded within various agencies of the federal government. Their work will span a different range of topics, from using machine learning for atmospheric and ocean science, to advancing up high-energy physics simulations with quantum systems.

The investment is part of a slow push from the White House to fund developing technologies. Many policy advisors have bothered that America is falling behind in AI and quantum research compared to competitors like China, and suggest that these technologies are instrumental not only for economic development but also for national security.

AI & Quantum research is challenging:

It’s challenging to obtain a fair comparison of US and Chinese spend on technology like AI as funding and research in this area is diffuse.

Although China announced grand plans to grow the world leader in AI by 2030, America yet outspends the country in military funding which frequently involves AI research, while US tech companies like Google and Microsoft continue world leaders in artificial intelligence.

The Donald Trump administration will suitable present today’s news as a counterbalance to its unfortunate reputation for supporting scientific research.

For four years in a row, government budgets have offered broad cuts for federal research, including work in holding subjects like climate change. Only the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum computing, with their apparent links to military prowess and global geopolitics, have witnessed increased investment.

“The United States must remain to lead the world in AI and quantum,” stated US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios ahead of today’s announcement, according to The Wall Street Journal. “The future of American economic prosperity and national security will be formed by how we invest, research, develop, and expand these cutting edge technologies today.”

Some $625 million of today’s funding will go to research, including quantum information sciences in five centers linked to the Department of Energy (DOE).

A further $140 million will be spent in seven AI initiatives, two overseen by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and five by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Private tech companies, including IBM and Microsoft, are offering $300 million in the form of “technology-services donations,” reports the WSJ, likely meaning way to cloud computing resources.

Source: The Verge.