Trump to Unveil $2.4 Billion in AI Pledges to Boost Research

President Donald Trump is set to announce $2.4 billion in commitments from Silicon Valley giants to bolster scientific research at a summit Thursday in Washington, the latest administration effort to promote and harness artificial intelligence.

The donations will cover AI tools and compute credits for the administration’s Genesis mission, an initiative intended to boost research using the technology and support more than 15 federal agencies, according to the White House. The announced contributions include $1 billion from Nvidia Corp., $500 million from Advanced Micro Devices Inc., $200 million from OpenAI and $150 million each from Anthropic PBC and Alphabet Inc.’s Google.

Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the newly announced efforts “will channel billions of dollars across our science ecosystem to realize the new scientific opportunities that now exist.”

Thursday’s summit, dubbed “Science: A New Golden Age,” will see the administration unveil a host of tech-related initiatives, including plans to inject more than $100 million into education programs for American researchers in science, technology, engineering and math fields.

It’s unclear exactly how the pledged computing power will be set aside for science-focused users at a time when hyperscalers already face high demand and lucrative prices for computer power.

Read more: Trump Makes $100 Million Push to Train American Scientists

The event also takes place against the backdrop of renewed tensions between the tech industry and White House, most prominently over immigration. On the same day that Trump is set to honor tech executives at the summit, including Microsoft Corp.’s Satya Nadella, Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced they were suspending the company and others from a visa program, alleging fraud.

Vance and Sonderling cast Microsoft and other companies including Adobe Inc, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Infosys Ltd., Tata, Wipro Ltd., HCL Technologies Ltd., and Capgemini SE, as abusers of a program that allows US employers to help sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency.

The administration has pushed tech companies to rely less on foreign workers and do more to train and employ Americans, including by taking steps to restrict the use of H-1B visas, a major pipeline for talent from overseas.

Read more: US Suspends Visa Program for Tech Firms Including Microsoft

Despite that friction, the industry has largely found in Trump a champion for their priorities and Thursday’s gathering underscores the nexus between the administration and Silicon Valley.

Trump’s policies have eased tax and regulatory burdens for tech companies, helping them draw fresh investment and ramp up the build-out of AI infrastructure. The president has also tapped the industry’s leaders, most notably Tesla Inc.’s Elon Musk and Airbnb Inc. co-founder Joe Gebbia, to help him reshape the US government.

Trump has notably been a keen booster of artificial intelligence — or super intelligence, as he has sought to rebrand it — touting the technology’s promise. But that embrace comes with political risks ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Trump and his Republican Party face voter discontent over his economic agenda and handling of the war in Iran, as high costs of living strain households budgets. AI has become a flashpoint in that debate, with communities pushing back on data centers that have fueled higher energy costs and burdened local water supplies. Voters are also anxious about the technology’s impact on jobs.

Industry figures have also warned about the existential threat that AI poses to humanity. The president, however, has insisted on a light regulatory touch, dismissing AI safety concerns as a hoax and warning that tougher restrictions would see the US lose a race with China to develop the technology.

Last week, Trump and top AI executives signed onto an accord that eschews mandatory guardrails, instead opting for a framework where companies would partner with outside auditors to conduct safety assessments of models and implement stronger internal controls over their systems.

Other tech executives Trump will honor on Thursday include Musk, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Sergey Brin of Alphabet and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.’s Lisa Su, who are receiving the National Medal of Science. He will also bestow the National Medal of Technology and Innovation on Michael Dell of Dell Technologies Inc.