Trump launches ‘Genesis Mission’ to harness AI for government science and industry

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order establishing the “Genesis Mission,” a federal initiative aimed at turning government data into scientific breakthroughs through collaboration with tech companies and universities. The effort is part of Trump’s broader push to make artificial intelligence a central driver of the U.S. economy.

The order directs the Department of Energy and national laboratories to create a digital platform consolidating the nation’s scientific data in one place. Private sector and academic partners will be invited to apply their AI capabilities to help solve engineering, energy, and national security challenges, including optimizing the electric grid. Officials did not mention medical research as part of the project.

“The Genesis Mission will bring together our Nation’s research and development resources — combining the efforts of brilliant American scientists, including those at our national laboratories, with pioneering American businesses, world-renowned universities, and existing research infrastructure,” the executive order states.

The administration has framed Genesis as the most ambitious federal scientific mobilization since the Apollo program, despite cuts in federal research funding and job losses among scientists in recent years.

Trump’s focus on AI as an economic engine was highlighted last week during his meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who pledged $1 trillion to transform the kingdom into an AI data hub. U.S. funding for the Genesis Mission will come via the Energy Department, supported by a tax and spending bill passed in July.

Officials acknowledged concerns that AI data centers, which consumed roughly 1.5% of global electricity last year, could raise utility costs in the near term. They argued that AI-driven demand would ultimately expand grid capacity and lower per-unit electricity costs, even as energy use and fossil fuel consumption are expected to rise significantly by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

The project will leverage supercomputers at national labs and those under development in the private sector. Officials emphasized that safeguards will be in place to protect sensitive and national security information while combining public data with private AI capabilities.