White House wants to shift billions of dollars of research funding away from ‘slow consensus peer review’ and into individual scientists and AI (www.techradar.com)

The White House has announced plans to redirect up to $200 billion of federal research funding from traditional university-based peer review systems to individual scientists and AI-native laboratories. This initiative aims to accelerate innovation in artificial intelligence and keep the U.S. competitive with advancements in AI and quantum computing from countries like China. The new approach—outlined in the report "Science: A New Golden Age" led by Michael Kratsios—seeks to foster groundbreaking scientific work by eliminating what officials deem "slow" consensus processes. However, this shift raises significant concerns about scientific credibility and oversight. By moving away from peer-reviewed research, crucial checks against errors and biases may be compromised, undermining the integrity of scientific inquiry. The report also proposed funding for the “Genesis Mission,” intended to leverage AI for advancements in energy, discovery science, and national security. While allowing more agile research methods, the government's previous missteps with AI, such as producing erroneous documents, highlight the potential challenges and risks of implementing this strategy without established scientific safeguards.