Meta AI Chief: "Trump and Musk Duo Threatens U.S. AI Supremacy"

# Meta’s AI Chief Yann LeCun Warns Trump Administration's Budget Cuts Could Harm U.S. AI Industry Meta’s AI lead, Yann LeCun, has submitted a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on behalf of an alliance of AI and technology organizations, expressing concerns that the Trump administration’s strategy of budget cuts could severely impact the U.S. AI sector. ## Criticism of the Trump Administration According to Cryptopolitan on the 11th (local time), LeCun accused the Trump administration of starting a "witch hunt in academia." His remarks follow multiple warnings from AI industry leaders that President Trump’s policies could weaken America's position in the AI domain. ## Letter to Commerce Secretary On the 10th, the AI and technology organizations sent a letter to Secretary Raimondo pointing out that the Trump administration’s decision to cut the budget for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) could negatively affect U.S. leadership in AI. During his first term, President Trump supported NIST’s AI research, but the current administration has been reducing funding and public-private partnerships. The organizations highlighted the significance of their work to the U.S. government and expressed willingness to collaborate with the administration to devise mutually beneficial strategies. ## The Importance of NIST’s AI Work LeCun stated, “The AI work initiated by NIST during President Trump’s first term played a crucial role in maintaining U.S. government and industry’s global AI leadership.” He advised that as the administration considers changing priorities, it should leverage NIST’s expertise in standards development, voluntary frameworks, public-private partnerships, and international harmonization. ## Comparison to the Red Scare LeCun compared Trump’s decision to cut NIST’s budget to the Red Scare of the Cold War era, mentioning the case of Chinese scientist Qian Xuesen, who, after being expelled from the U.S. in the 1950s, contributed to China’s missile program. ## Ongoing Budget Cuts and Policy Changes Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been issuing executive orders to cut budgets and reduce staff at federal agencies. Significant cuts to the National Institutes of Health have been announced, threatening to abruptly halt billions of dollars in federal funding for biomedical research. Additionally, President Trump signed an executive order opposing the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. This move has raised concerns that university scientific research could be jeopardized.