The National Science Foundation has announced a series of major AI initiatives that align with the White House‘s AI Action Plan, signaling a coordinated federal push to maintain U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. The initiatives span foundational AI research, infrastructure development, and real-world testing capabilities, positioning NSF as a key player in America’s AI competitiveness strategy.
What you should know: NSF Chief of Staff Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF Director, outlined four major initiatives the foundation will unveil in the coming weeks.
- New NSF AI Research Institutes will accelerate breakthroughs in foundational AI and applications across health, education, chemistry, and materials science.
- A partnership will create large language model infrastructure to develop cutting-edge capabilities for AI-driven scientific research.
- AI Testbeds will provide transparent and rigorous evaluation of real-world AI systems.
- The next phase of the National AI Research Resource will expand access to computational resources, data, software, and training materials.
The big picture: These NSF initiatives represent a significant federal investment in AI research infrastructure, designed to complement the White House’s broader AI Action Plan by removing barriers to American innovation.
Why this matters: The coordinated approach between the White House and NSF demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to competing globally in AI while ensuring the technology’s benefits create jobs across America.
What they’re saying: “The White House’s AI Action Plan sends a clear message: the United States is all-in on winning the future of artificial intelligence,” Stone said in his statement.
- “These investments will help secure U.S. leadership in AI while ensuring the benefits of this powerful technology reach across America and create more jobs.”
- “NSF stands ready to work alongside our partners in government, private industry and philanthropy to keep American innovation on the frontier where it belongs.”
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...