More basic science research $ going to wealthy tech oligarchs

I have mentioned the Genesis project here in the past, which is a department of energy (DOE) initiative to take money away from science and give it to the tech industry for AI. The National Science Foundation (NSF) had developed a similar program called X-labs, but it is a very similar idea that instead of spending money on basic research and training the next generation of scientists, it should go to the tech industry so they can use it to develop further AI products to shove down our throats.

The NSF has just released the funding model ( [https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-nsf-slashes-research-programs-support-new-tech-initiative-insiders-say](https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-nsf-slashes-research-programs-support-new-tech-initiative-insiders-say) ). More than $1B, over 20% (seems to be about 30%) of the budget is being removed to fund AI. The issue is that the NSF has many flagship users facilities and programs, so this is going to hugely effect small research groups. The NSF is generally the federal funding program that professors at small state schools would apply to. These grants are generally small, a few hundred thousand dollars that go to graduate and undergraduate stipends and travel. This will make it even more difficult for people who are not already coming from a economically privileged family to go into STEM, and further decrease our population of STEM workers.