The historic Belgian city of Leuven is known for its centuries-old university and as the headquarters of brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev NV. Less so as the location of a semiconductor research organization that is now the center of both political and industry attention. The Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC) may be Belgium's best-kept secret, but it's in global demand for its work on the future of computer chips, with applications in areas from genome sequencing to autonomous driving. It's also increasingly in the sights of governments as chips become political weapons in the U.S.-China tech conflict. Crippling industry shortages during the pandemic have meanwhile set off a scramble for access to advanced research as the U.S., China, Japan and Europe all seek greater self-reliance in semiconductor production.

Over a tumultuous four years, the Trump administration has steadily emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence to American competitiveness. Now President Trump must decide whether to veto what would be the government's biggest-ever funding and strategy boost to AI. The National Defense Authorization Act would provide $6.4 billion in federal money over five years for research on AI and its applications, and it would push Washington toward developing a national strategy on the technology. The bill, approved by both houses of Congress, would increase federal AI spending with $4.8 billion for the National Science Foundation, $1.2 billion via the Energy Department, and $400 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Martijn Rasser, a senior fellow of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for New American Security, a strategy think tank in Washington, DC, says the funding is significant.

Congress signaled its confidence in the Pentagon's young artificial intelligence office through a series of measures to increases its standing in the agency, including giving its director acquisition authority. The annual defense policy bill, called the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, would alter the reporting structure of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, raising the office to report directly to the deputy secretary of defense, instead of the department's chief information officer. The bill, which still needs President Donald Trump's approval, establishes a board of advisers to give the center strategic advice and technical expertise on AI matters. The measures to bolster the importance of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center come as the organization pivots from focusing on artificial intelligence projects to identifying and solving problems within the services using AI. The JAIC was established in 2018 to increase the adoption of AI across the Pentagon.

The White House released a budget proposal this week that at first glance, looks like a big win for the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The budget for fiscal year 2021 (which begins in October) would ramp up spending for AI research at DARPA (the Pentagon's research arm) and the National Science Foundation by roughly $549 million. The budget request, which still needs to be approved by Congress, increases AI funding from $50 million to $249 million at DARPA, and from $500 million to $850 million at NSF. But while technologists applaud the increased investment in AI, the White House budget proposal is giving many in the science community pause. Overall, the budget proposes $142.2 billion in spending for research and development, a 9% cut from current levels.

President Trump Monday proposed cutting federal research spending--except in key areas including artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. Trump's budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1 proposes spending $142.2 billion in research and development, 9 percent less than in the current year. The White House says its proposal is 6 percent more than it requested last year. The budget request is something of a gambler's approach to funding American innovation, betting big in select areas. "I find it disappointing and concerning that funding for basic research is down," says Martijn Rasser, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a policy think tank in Washington, DC. "We just don't know where the next breakthroughs will come from."

The White House has issued principles for regulating the use of artificial intelligence that call for as little government interference as possible and offer only broad guidance to federal agencies. In fact, the principles might deter regulation of AI at a time when many think it is increasingly needed. Michael Kratsios, chief technology officer of the United States, is set to announce the principles on Wednesday at CES in Las Vegas. They arrive at a critical moment for the development of AI and for America's position as the global standard bearer. The guidelines have the potential to shape the development of a broad swath of valuable and critical technologies, from autonomous vehicles to new medical imaging tools.

Artificial Intelligence is dynamically changing the landscape of the world and it is expected to dramatically affect all significant aspects of human life as well. The technology that simulates intelligent behavior in machines has enabled people to process. Analyze and transform information and develop a whole novel industry. For such reasons, countries like America and China are eagerly ready to steal AI's thunder to gain leadership and supremacy in this space. AI is significantly bringing about economic, political and military strength across any country in today's age. Owing to such advents, it is crucial for the USA to get AI right into its system and to start with the development, first step is always creating a meaningful strategy.

The US government must spend $25 billion on artificial intelligence research by 2025, stem the loss of foreign AI talent, and find new ways to prevent critical AI technology from being stolen and exported, according to a policy report issued Tuesday. Otherwise it risks falling behind China and losing its standing on the world stage. The report, from the Center for New American Security (CNAS), is the latest to highlight the importance of AI to the future of the US. It argues that the technology will define economic, military, and geopolitical power in coming decades. Advanced technologies, including AI, 5G wireless services, and quantum computing, are already at the center of an emerging technological cold war between the US and China. The Trump administration has declared AI a national priority, and it has enacted policies, such as technology export controls, designed to limit China's progress in AI and related areas.