Simply put
- President Trump signed the executive order on Tuesday, instructing the NIH to spend $50 million on AI projects aimed at improving pediatric cancer research and treatment.
- The initiative will fund science teams to enhance clinical trials, sharpen diagnosis and use data from the Pediatric Cancer Data Initiative to develop better treatments.
- The announcement comes as the administration has been criticised for its deep cuts on broader cancer research funding, including a proposal to cut $2.7 billion to the National Cancer Institute’s budget.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday, directing the National Institutes of Health to spend the development of a $50 million AI system to analyze data related to childhood cancer.
“Future treatments will promise higher rates of stiffness and lower side effects,” Jay Batacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters on Tuesday. “This executive order gives us a real opportunity to make this promise a reality.”
White House officials told reporters on Tuesday that the NIH will pay $50 million to science teams that utilize AI, with the aim of improving pediatric cancer-related clinical trials, reducing diagnosis, fine-tuned treatments, finding treatments and strengthening prevention strategies.
“The promise of AI is to help you understand how rare cancers can be managed well,” the official said. “What lessons can we teach to help manage other cancers as a result of lung cancer patients?”
More investment will come over time as the NIH implements today’s executive order, officials added.
The White House intends that AI research teams will rely heavily on data collected through Trump’s Pediatric Cancer Data Initiative. Established During his first term in 2019. The NIH can also direct some of the funds announced today for improving data collection operations.
According to the White House, it is not yet known which AI companies will receive these government contracts. The NIH will soon announce a call for research proposals on the subject, with “Open Scientific Competition” showing “Figures, teams evaluated by the NIH process of peer reviews.” [and] The most promising ideas,” said a White House official.
Under the second Trump administration, new technology companies have seen a boom in government contract work, even if the White House is cut significantly. the study and Expenses All across the nation.
For example, many crypto companies have been tapped last month It is an initiative to continue to store government data using blockchain networks to provide federal agencies on-chain Enlarge.
The White House cuts government spending this year It was greatly influenced Cancer research. In recent months, the Trump administration has already cancelled hundreds of millions of dollars on cancer-related research grants and contracts. It also promotes reducing the federal government’s financial obligations when supporting federally funded cancer research labs.
The 2026 White House budget will cut $2.7 billion worth of funds from the National Cancer Institute, the NIH’s cancer-centric wing. This is a budget cut of over 37%.
On Tuesday, White House officials pushed back when asked how childhood cancer AI initiatives would spread to the Trump administration’s recent severe cuts and the rush to research cancer in other regions.
“The president’s policy is to fully invest in cancer research,” they said. “I think I’ll reject the premise of the question.”
Generally intelligent Newsletter
A weekly AI journey narrated by Gen, a generator AI model.