In a significant move to position the United States at the forefront of technological innovation, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order initiating a major new artificial intelligence project dubbed the 'Genesis Mission'. The order, signed on Monday 24th November 2025, directs the federal government to pool its vast scientific resources with tech companies and universities.
A New National AI Initiative
The core objective of the Genesis Mission is to accelerate scientific discovery and engineering solutions by creating a centralised digital platform for the nation's scientific data. This platform will be built and managed by the Department of Energy and the national laboratories. The initiative explicitly calls upon the private sector and academic institutions to contribute their AI capabilities to help tackle complex challenges in areas such as energy and national security.
One of the key problems highlighted for the project to address is the modernisation and streamlining of the United States' electric grid. Notably, White House officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the order does not specifically target medical advances at this stage.
Ambitious Comparisons and Economic Drivers
The Trump administration is framing the Genesis Mission as the government's most ambitious mobilisation of federal scientific resources since the Apollo space missions of the 1960s and 1970s. This comparison comes despite the administration's record of cutting billions in federal funding for scientific research, which has led to thousands of scientist job losses.
President Trump is increasingly looking to the tech sector and AI development to power the future of the US economy. This strategy was underscored last week during a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has committed a staggering $1 trillion from the nation's oil and gas reserves to pivot his country into a global AI data hub.
For the US initiative, funding was appropriated to the Energy Department through a massive tax-break and spending bill signed into law by President Trump in July.
Addressing the Energy and Security Implications
The Genesis Mission arrives as the heavy electricity consumption of AI data centres raises concerns. According to the International Energy Agency, these facilities accounted for roughly 1.5% of global electricity consumption last year, with predictions that their energy use will more than double by 2030. This surge could lead to increased burning of fossil fuels, exacerbating climate change.
In response to these concerns, administration officials argue that utility rates will decrease as AI technology develops, stating that increased demand will build capacity in existing transmission lines and lower the cost per unit of electricity.
The project will utilise the supercomputing power of national labs as well as capacity being developed in the private sector. Given the use of sensitive data, including national security information, officials have issued assurances that robust controls will be implemented to protect classified and proprietary information.
