United States Continues to Lead
According to a National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science report from 2018 (pdf), the United States can harness quantum information science to “improve its industrial base, create jobs, and provide economic and national security benefits.” The report mentioned previous examples of American scientific ingenuity that laid the foundation for a host of critical modern technologies.“Prior examples of QIS-related technologies include semiconductor microelectronics, photonics, the global positioning system (GPS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),” the report said. “These underpin significant parts of the national economic and defense infrastructure. Future scientific and technological discoveries from QIS may be even more impactful.”
“The Department of Energy is a staunch supporter of cutting edge research to advance quantum information science,” said Secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette, in a statement. “I am proud to lead an Agency committed to developing industries of the future by making investments today to accelerate American innovation.”
In a joint statement from The White House, Kratsios and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Coordination, Chris Liddell, said that “The establishment of these new national AI and QIS institutes will not only accelerate discovery and innovation, but will also promote job creation and workforce development. 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.”
The White House statement says the administration also views the research facilities as a manifestation of the United States’ free-market approach to the advancement of technology, as they leverage the efforts of the Federal government, American industry, and academia for the betterment of the Nation.
“As history has shown, America is a country of thinkers, doers, and innovators,” Kratsios and Liddel said. “The United States is the proud home of the greatest technological breakthroughs the world has ever known, from creating the modern Internet to putting humans on the moon. Emerging technologies like AI and QIS will lead to transformative benefits for the American people in healthcare, communications, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, security, and beyond.”
Funding Appropriation
A total of 7 AI research institutes will receive funding to the tune of $140 million over 5 years from the NSF and other federal partners, and will focus on the fields of synthetic manufacturing, machine-learning, precision agriculture, and forecasting prediction. The research efforts will be carried out at universities including the Universities of Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, and California, and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.As the largest non-defense funding body for research & development in the field of AI, the NSF plans to make over $300 million in awards over the coming years.