(Washington, D.C.) U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday (November 24) launching "Mission Genesis," a program aimed at using artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific breakthroughs. This is the Trump administration's latest initiative to promote innovation and development in artificial intelligence, comparable in importance to the Manhattan Project's development of the atomic bomb during World War II.
Under Mission Genesis, the U.S. Department of Energy will establish a closed-loop artificial intelligence (AI) platform, combining the nation's supercomputers, federal scientific datasets, and research facilities to train basic scientific models and create intelligent agents to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.
This executive order specifically focuses on U.S. national security, economic security, and health security, as well as areas including biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear fission and fusion energy, space exploration, quantum information science, semiconductors, and microelectronics.
Trump stated that AI is a crucial frontier for scientific discovery and economic growth, and that the United States is in the race for global AI technology dominance. Mission Genesis will bring together national R&D resources, including outstanding scientists, pioneering companies, top universities, existing research infrastructure, data storage facilities, factories, and national security facilities, to address current challenges. The executive order states: "The Genesis Mission will significantly accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen U.S. national security, ensure energy dominance, increase workforce productivity, and multiply the return on taxpayers' investments in research and development, thereby further consolidating America's technological dominance and global strategic leadership."
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The White House described the urgency and ambition of this historic plan as comparable to the Manhattan Project, crucial to the victory in World War II. White House Office of Science and Technology Director Kratsios predicted that this move would shorten the timeline for scientific discoveries from years to months, or even hours.
There are concerns that the further proliferation of AI technology will put greater strain on the US power grid, exacerbating the rising cost of living crisis. However, US Energy Secretary Wright stated that one of the ultimate goals of Mission Genesis in the energy sector is to "increase energy supply, improve grid efficiency, and reverse the price increases that are angering American citizens."
Trump has prioritized winning the AI race with China. Shortly after taking office earlier this year, he directed the government to develop a plan aimed at making "America the AI capital of the world" and reducing regulatory barriers hindering the rapid development of AI technology.
The White House is also trying to prevent states from implementing their own AI regulations. According to an executive order currently being drafted, the Department of Justice could sue states if it believes that state-level AI regulations are unconstitutional.
European Central Bank President: Europe's Slow Move in AI Could Jeopardize Its Future
On the other hand, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Monday that Europe has "missed the opportunity to be a pioneer in AI." She warned that Europe's slow pace in embracing AI technology could jeopardize its future.
Lagarde said, "We must remove all obstacles that prevent us from embracing this transformation." She believes that although Europe has missed the initial opportunity, this disadvantage could still be turned into a competitive advantage if it can decisively adopt AI technology in key areas.
She pointed out that obstacles to Europe's rapid adoption of AI technology include fragmented regulation, high energy costs, red tape, and insufficient computing power.
These remarks indicate a growing concern that Europe has fallen far behind the United States and China in the field of AI. However, at the same time, some remain cautious about the widespread use of AI.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Türk warned on Monday that without proper safeguards and regulation, generative AI could evolve into a "modern Frankenstein monster," threatening human rights including privacy, political participation, and freedom of expression.
Lagarde emphasized that if Europe continues to hesitate, the consequences will be more than just losing the AI model race. "Ultimately, the competitiveness of many of our industries and sectors will decline further."
