“A Band-Aid on a giant gash”: Trump’s attacks on science may ruin his AI moonshot (arstechnica.com)

Last month, Donald Trump announced the "Genesis Mission," a new initiative aimed at leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance scientific advancement in the U.S. The mission is touted as a transformative effort to address issues related to energy dominance and national security, with promises to create an integrated AI platform that would utilize vast federal scientific data sets. This platform is expected to empower researchers to automate tasks and expedite discoveries, likened to historic achievements such as the Apollo moon landing. However, the initiative faces significant skepticism from the scientific community. Critics argue that Trump's recent actions—such as slashing funding for critical research and undermining institutions vital to scientific progress—undermine the mission's potential success. Arati Prabhakar, a former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, emphasized the need to rebuild trust and resources in public research agencies for the Genesis Mission to be viable. The vague details on collaboration and funding further raise doubts about the feasibility of Trump's ambitious vision, suggesting that without concrete support and restoration of damaged relationships, this mission could stall before it truly begins.