The Trump Administration is investing more than $1 billion into artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information science (QIS), 5G communications and other emerging technologies.

The White House, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DoE) announced awards for the establishment of 12 new AI and QIS research and development (R&D) institutes.

The National Science Foundation and additional federal partners are awarding $140 million over five years to a total of seven NSF-led AI Research Institutes. These collaborative research and education institutes will focus on a range of AI R&D areas, such as machine learning, synthetic manufacturing, precision agriculture and forecasting prediction.

Research will take place at universities around the country, including the University of Oklahoma at Norman, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of California at Davis, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

NSF anticipates making additional AI Research Institute awards in the coming years, with more than $300 million in total awards, including contributions from partner agencies, expected by next summer. Overall, NSF will invest more than $500 million in AI activities annually.

To establish the QIS Research Centers, the DoE is announcing up to $625 million over five years to five centres that will be led by National Laboratory teams at Argonne, Brookhaven, Fermi, Oak Ridge and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories.

Each will incorporate a collaborative research team spanning multiple institutions, as well as scientific and engineering disciplines. The private sector and academia will be providing another $300 million in contributions for the centres.

They will focus on a range of key QIS research topics, including quantum networking, sensing, computing and materials manufacturing.

The new national AI and QIS institutes are aimed at both accelerating innovation, and boosting job creation. "NSF’s AI Research Institutes and DOE’S QIS Research Centers will include a strong emphasis on training, education, and outreach to help Americans of all backgrounds, ages, and skill levels participate in our 21st-century economy," read the statement.

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