Trump honors Musk, others tech leaders with top science prizes
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has presented the National Medal of Science, the country's highest scientific honor, to several leading Big Tech executives. These included SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and AMD CEO Lisa Su. Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. According to The New Republic, the awardees have collectively donated nearly $6 billion to initiatives associated with Trump administration.
Acknowledgment
Summit featured remarks from Trump on American scientific advancements
During the summit, Trump praised the attendees for their contributions to American science and technology.
He said, "We live in an age of American wonders and technological marvels."
The President presented each recipient with medals and certificates of honor, inviting some of their families on stage for photographs.
"You're going to go down in the annals of history as being great," Trump told them.
Immigration impact
Immigrants' role in US scientific success emphasized at summit
The summit also highlighted the role of immigrants in America's scientific prowess.
Huang, an immigrant himself, emphasized this as he walked through the venue with his parents.
Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian stressed a welcoming immigration system for American research universities and proposed an immigration policy to attract top talent to the country.
Funding announcement
Summit announces $2.4B AI computing credits for scientific challenges
The summit also announced funding for new scientific initiatives, including a commitment of some $2.4 billion in AI computing credits and scientific tools by America's leading AI companies.
These will be used by federal agencies working on various scientific challenges prioritized by the White House, such as quantum algorithms, AI-driven physical laboratories, and improving nuclear engineering efficiency.