On November 24 local time, the White House issued a statement announcing that President Trump had signed an executive order to launch a new national initiative dubbed “Project Genesis,” aimed at leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to transform scientific research methods and accelerate scientific discovery.
The statement indicated that the order directs the Department of Energy to create an AI experimentation platform that integrates US supercomputers and unique data assets to generate scientific foundation models and support robotic laboratories. The order instructs the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST) to coordinate this national initiative and integrate data and infrastructure from various federal agencies. The Secretary of Energy, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and the Special Advisor for AI and Cryptotechnology will collaborate with innovators from academia and the private sector to support and strengthen “Project Genesis.”
This is the latest effort by the Trump administration to promote AI innovation. Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, briefed reporters before Trump signed the order, stating that this move aims to better coordinate research efforts across government agencies and more effectively integrate AI tools to achieve greater scientific breakthroughs. He added that the mission would utilize the computational resources of the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories, tap into federal datasets, and support more experiments utilizing AI, calling it the “largest mobilization of federal scientific resources since the Apollo program.” He predicted this would help shorten the timelines for scientific discovery.
In July, Trump unveiled a comprehensive AI policy blueprint designed to make it easier for AI companies to grow in the United States and for US allies to access critical hardware and software. The blueprint encourages the Department of Energy and other agencies to partner with the private sector and national laboratories to invest in “automated cloud laboratories across a range of scientific fields, including engineering, materials science, chemistry, biology, and neuroscience.” It also directs the administration to expand AI research and training within the laboratories.
According to the latest news, last week, Carl Coe, Chief of Staff at the US Department of Energy, stated that this indicates the Trump administration views the impending AI competition as equally important as the “Manhattan Project” or the space race. He added, “We view ‘Project Genesis’ as equivalent.” He mentioned that this executive order would likely require US National Laboratories to conduct more research on emerging AI technologies and could involve public-private partnerships.
A senior government official, who briefed on the order’s details anonymously, said that collaborations with private companies like NVIDIA, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and AMD would enhance the laboratories’ supercomputing resources. The official cited recent announcements from these companies as examples of potential new collaborations.
Officials stated on Monday that this initiative would accelerate scientific discovery in materials engineering, health sciences, and energy. They sought to portray the innovations as key to helping boost production and lower prices, another priority for an administration seeking to address voters’ concerns about the cost of living. Kratsios said, “Powered by AI, America is on the verge of a scientific revolution.”
However, the substantial computational resources required for AI development and use rely on energy-intensive data centers, raising concerns that the adoption of this technology will exacerbate pressure on the US power grid.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated on Monday that “Project Genesis” would help address rising energy costs, citing one of its “ultimate goals” in the energy sector as “increasing energy supply, improving grid efficiency, and reversing the price increases that have angered American citizens.” He said, “We are going to stop energy price increases. First, it will plateau, and ultimately it will put downward pressure on electricity prices.”
Trump has frequently praised the promise of AI and made its development a top priority for his administration, pursuing what he describes as policies to ensure the US wins the technology race. Through a series of executive orders, Trump has taken action to reduce regulatory burdens, making it easier for companies to build AI infrastructure and power data centers, and for allies to access critical hardware and software. He has also pushed to block state-level regulation of AI, advocating for federal standards. Furthermore, Trump is preparing an executive order that would allow the Department of Justice to sue states over AI regulations it deems unconstitutional.
