White House directs $5B to AI-driven science projects in 'Genesis Mission' grants

The Trump administration announced the first round of 'Genesis Mission' grants, directing $5 billion toward hundreds of AI-driven science projects across fields including energy, biomedical research, advanced materials, and robotics. The White House described the initiative as 'comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project,' emphasizing AI’s role in accelerating scientific discovery.

The Energy Department, which led this funding round, selected 278 projects from more than 5,000 applications. The projects are intended to unite national laboratories, industry, and academia under a shared goal of pursuing 'breakthroughs in energy dominance, discovery science, and national security.' Technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, contributed millions of dollars in compute resources, AI credits, and other forms of support to the initiative.

The announcement coincided with a broader administration push to reorient federal science policy. Trump’s science adviser, Michael Kratsios, promoted an accompanying 'Golden Age' manifesto that proposes shifting federal research funding away from institutions like universities and toward individual scientists. The manifesto also calls for giving private companies a larger role in directing research and empowering political appointees to block grants they disagree with.

Critics argue the Genesis Mission and the 'Golden Age' agenda reflect a systemic effort to dismantle established norms in American science. They warn that prioritizing measurable, results-driven outcomes over basic research risks undermining long-term discovery and eroding the public-good mission of federal research funding. One researcher quoted in the report cautioned that the focus on AI could lead to 'a few major insights buried under mountains of slop,' with fewer experts capable of distinguishing meaningful progress from noise.

The administration’s science policy shifts have extended beyond funding priorities. The White House has also worked to suppress projects deemed 'woke' or aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, threatened funding for universities on ideological grounds, and restricted the flow of international researchers and students. These moves have raised concerns about the politicization of science and the potential long-term damage to the U.S. research ecosystem.