President Donald Trump is scheduled to present Elon Musk and several leading technology executives with the United States’ highest science and technology honours at a White House ceremony on Thursday, according to the White House.
The awards will be presented during the "Science: A New Golden Age" summit. Musk, Google co-founder Sergei Brin, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and AMD chief executive Lisa Su are due to receive the National Medal of Science.
Michael Dell, the computer industry executive, and Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella will receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the top US award in that field.
White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday that the administration welcomed the recipients’ work in science and technology. “The Trump Administration is grateful for the contributions of these incredible leaders in science and technology. These recipients are helping ensure America keeps leading the world in innovation,” she said.
Musk, who leads SpaceX and Tesla, has returned to Trump’s favour after the pair fell out last year over Musk’s role leading the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. He was also Trump’s largest donor during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Musk and Huang attended Trump’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. They were also among technology executives who met at the White House last week, where industry leaders pledged to self-regulate in response to possible risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Trump has rejected warnings that artificial intelligence could threaten humanity. Instead, he has described the technology as important to the “Golden Age” he says will define the US economy during his second term.
The awards ceremony comes as Trump’s Republican Party faces the prospect of losing control of Congress in midterm elections next month, amid voter concerns about the Iran war and the cost of living.
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