Trump wants to turn it on again with ‘Genesis Mission’ for AI in science

Summary

US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to launch the “Genesis Mission,” a nationwide AI initiative aimed at accelerating scientific discovery and reinforcing US technological leadership. The Department of Energy (DOE) will lead the project, linking compute, datasets and facilities across its 17 National Laboratories with industry and academia to build an integrated discovery platform. The programme aims to train scientific foundation models and deploy AI agents to automate research workflows and test hypotheses, with priorities including fusion and fission energy, quantum computing, critical materials, advanced manufacturing and semiconductors.

The order sets tight timelines: 90 days to identify available federal compute resources, a further 30 days to catalogue initial government datasets and model assets, and 270 days for an initial operating capability on at least one scientific challenge. Implementation is delegated inside DOE to under‑secretary for science Dr Darío Gil. Notably, the executive order does not outline new funding; the DOE may be expected to reallocate existing budgets.

Key Points

President Trump signed an executive order launching the “Genesis Mission” to apply AI to major scientific challenges.
The Department of Energy will lead, linking compute, data and facilities across 17 National Laboratories and partnering with industry and academia.
The plan focuses on training scientific foundation models and creating AI agents to automate hypothesis testing and research workflows.
Priorities include nuclear fusion and fission, grid modernisation, quantum computing, critical materials, advanced manufacturing and semiconductors.
Tight deadlines: 90 days to identify compute resources, 120 days to list datasets/assets, and 270 days to show an initial operating capability for at least one challenge.
Dr Darío Gil (DOE under‑secretary for science) will implement the project on behalf of Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
No dedicated funding was specified in the order — DOE may need to use existing budgets or secure appropriations later.
The move is framed as a response to a global race for technology dominance and follows reports that AI investment is a major driver of recent US economic growth.

Context and Relevance

This is a high‑stake, government-led attempt to centralise and accelerate AI‑driven science in the US — comparable in rhetoric to historical large-scale research efforts. If implemented, Genesis could speed up R&D productivity by tightly coupling supercomputers, national lab expertise and federal datasets into unified workflows. That makes it relevant to researchers, industry partners, national security planners and anyone tracking how AI reshapes economic and technological power.

However, the absence of explicit funding and the compressed deadlines raise practical questions about resourcing, governance, data sharing, intellectual property, and oversight. The DOE’s plan to reuse existing infrastructure and partner with industry will determine how quickly and equitably the platform can scale. International competitors are also pursuing similar consolidations of compute and data, so Genesis matters both domestically and geopolitically.

Why should I read this?

Short version: this could change how big science gets done. If you’re in research, tech policy, energy, or industry that relies on advanced compute, pay attention — the DOE’s linking of labs, datasets and supercomputers could speed discoveries or create new bottlenecks depending on how it’s run. Also: no clear cash pot yet, so expect fights over budgets and access.

Author style

Punchy — this is presented as a major, time‑boxed national push. Read the detail if you care about who gets compute access, where research funding will flow, or how fast AI will be embedded into scientific workflows. It’s headline‑worthy and could reshape priorities in research and industry.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/25/trump_ai_genesis_mission/