White House's proposed budget would increase investments in AI and quantum computing

The White House's proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 includes sizable increases in federal funding for AI and quantum computing projects. All told, the overall increase in federal R&D funding is 6% compared to fiscal year 2020, reaching $142.2 billion. Although much of the funding is aimed at R&D and infrastructure investments like $25 million to begin research for a quantum internet, the tenor of the briefing included defense tones. In espousing the need to invest in quantum information science (QIS), an official on the call said the U.S. needs to stay ahead of China and Europe, which are investing in their own quantum computing projects. U.S. CTO Michael Kratsios was clear about American values as they pertain to AI. "I think with regards to some of our adversaries and others around the world [that] utilize this technology, it's imperative that the U.S. continues to lead in technologies like AI," he said.