News Discussions

What steps can Europe take to become a leader in science and technology while ensuring openness and collaboration?

Nature, Published online: 23 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01955-1 Amid chaos in US science and geopolitical turmoil, Europe wants to position itself as a research haven — but questions about funding and innovation remain

What are the potential benefits and challenges of Australia and Canada working together on radar technology?

This is the first international sale of Australia's advanced radar technology, which offers long-range surveillance to improve defences and provide early warning, the government said

What are the benefits and risks of allowing robotaxis to operate without a human driver?

Tesla is finally doing unsupervised robotaxi trips in Austin, Texas, according to a video posted on X. Elon Musk reposted the video, congratulating Tesla's AI team for the milestone. For months, Tesla's robotaxis in Austin and San Francisco have included safety monitors with access to a kill switch in case of emergency - a fallback […]

How should we prepare our technology and policies to handle the challenges of quantum computing in the future?

What are the different ways we can think about the impact of AI on society as suggested by Pope Leo's new text?

How should the government manage the use of AI technology in our daily lives?

Like its AI policy, the Trump administration's AI team is taking shape on the fly. Why it matters: Departures among key White House officials, combined with rapid advances in technology, are shaking up who's taking the lead on AI policy in the administration. The big picture: Silicon Valley figures David Sacks and Siriam Krishnan have served as key architects of the administration's AI agenda. But with Sacks stepping back from day-to-day involvement and Krishnan preparing to leave, influence is shifting inside the White House to a broader group of officials and aides. Here's who's running the show — for now. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick's signature was on the letter that sparked the latest confrontation between Anthropic and the administration, ultimately leading to the takedown of the company's Fable and Mythos models. Last week, Lutnick imposed export controls on Anthropic, effectively creating a licensing regime that could eventually impact other AI labs.He is now leading meetings on the sidelines of the G7 to discuss expanding access to advanced AI models and standing next to President Trump during his summit press conference. While Lutnick brokers abroad, Chris Fall at Commerce's Center for AI Standards and Innovation has been holding technical meetings in D.C. Zoom in: Lutnick was once said to be on the outs for going off message in TV interviews and not having a solid handle over his department's jurisdiction, sources familiar with the matter said. But last week's Anthropic fallout put him back in the game and it's now Lutnick's moment."He's fixing a problem. He's not being a problem. And he's doing a great job," said one senior administration official following the letter imposing export controls. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Bessent does not directly oversee AI testing. Yet he was the point of contact when Amazon raised concerns about Anthropic safety issues and was among the few cabinet members flanking the president during a G7 press co

What are the benefits and risks of using AI in cybersecurity for different countries?

How should the government balance quick fixes for cyber threats with the need for thorough security measures?

What are the potential benefits and risks of the government investing in AI companies like OpenAI?

President Trump surprised tech CEOs by suddenly pushing the idea of the U.S. taking a small ownership stake in AI giants, so the American people share in the upside of what will be trillion-dollar companies. "There's something very interesting about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One yesterday. "It's like you make them [partners] in this revolution. It would be a beautiful thing. It would make 'em rich." Why it matters: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pushed this idea with the Trump administration over the past year. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reignited the conversation this week when he proposed giving the public a "direct ownership stake" in top AI companies via a one-time 50% tax, paid in stock. Of course, industry advocates of the idea would favor giving up much less for an AI public wealth fund — 1-5% stakes have been kicked around. Between the lines: AI is broadly unpopular in the U.S. Some industry leaders, and now clearly Trump, think the technology's image would improve if all Americans participated in this mind-boggling wealth creation. Ahead of the expected stock offerings by Anthropic, SpaceX and OpenAI, Trump said there's "so much money, and it's so big, that there are concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner . with the companies." "We'll look into that," Trump said. "We're talking about it, where the American people can benefit from the success of AI. And by doing that, they're gonna like it better . We're leading China. We're leading everybody in the world with AI, and we want to keep it that way." The backstory: Altman has pushed the concept in private conversations with administration officials, then in a proposal for an AI New Deal, then on Capitol Hill this week when he visited Sanders and leaders of both parties. A "Public Wealth Fund" was one of the provocative ideas in OpenAI's "Industrial Policy for

What should the government consider when creating rules about AI technology?

Here is the draft executive order on cybersecurity and AI as it stood before President Trump pulled the plug on it Thursday. State of play: The industry and administration are scrambling to figure out what's next as key questions remain unanswered on the future of government access to top AI models and general AI safety

What should we consider about human control over AI systems as technology continues to advance?

New trend could see humans lose control over AI systems, Anthropic warns

What potential policies should we consider to address the implications of AI-driven scientific breakthroughs in 2025?

AI-driven scientific innovation accelerated in 2025 — fueling major progress in fields ranging from robotics to health care. Why it matters: Powerful new models and computing tools are influencing everything from how experiments are designed to how results are analyzed — with much of that momentum coming from the private sector. Here are some of 2025's biggest AI-driven breakthroughs: 1. Making diagnoses for Alzheimer's and related diseases is on the road to becoming faster and cheaper with AI. Researchers at a wide range of universities and health care institutions announced findings this year about how AI will help with future therapies and better detection in primary care.For example, one study found that a specific gene is a cause of Alzheimer's — a discovery the researchers were only able to make because AI helped them visualize the three-dimensional structure of the protein. 2. Google released its AlphaGenome model to understand diseases better and lead to drug discovery. The model was made possible by technical advancements that allow it to process long DNA sequences and provide quality predictions. 3. Advancements in humanoid robots' dexterity and human interaction this year could mean AI-enabled robots one day clean homes, keep people company, work in warehouses or provide care in <a href="https