$100M AI Program Offers Roles for State, Local Agencies

State and local governments will play a part in a $100 million federal project to build AI infrastructure hubs, according to plans from the U.S. National Science Foundation.The agency designed the program to encourage innovation in artificial intelligence via research, workforce development and expand access to data and server resources, according to a statement.Officially called the NSF State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs program, the effort encourages cross-disciplinary work to push the AI frontier.

In that spirit, the foundation envisions that state and local governments will collaborate with research institutions, philanthropic groups and private companies to “build and operate cutting-edge scientific compute for researchers, students and educators” in various regions, according to the statement.The foundation will play a “catalytic role” and provide the core investment.The new program reflects the recommendations put forth in a report called “Science: A New Golden Age,” issued in July by White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, who in the first Trump administration served as chief technology officer of the United States.

In general, that report urges the construction of a “foundation of a new era of AI,” according to the statement.The news of this program comes as President Trump continues to take a relatively aggressive stance on the spread of AI and its data center backbone. The program launches as public agencies and states set up their own AI innovation operations — and as states consider their own ideas about AI governance.The foundation expects to support up to 10 AI infrastructure hubs initially, with one award going to each state or region. The foundation said such companies and organizations as NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Dell Technologies, Hangar and the Secunda Innovation Fund will take part."Artificial intelligence is transforming how we conduct research, accelerate scientific discovery and address complex challenges across disciplines," said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director, in the statement. "The state and regional AI Infrastructure Hubs program supports a national mission to advance AI for science by expanding access to critical AI resources, strengthening state and regional ecosystems and developing the workforce capabilities needed to harness these technologies.”