Episode 42: Dr. Darío Gil on The Genesis Mission, AI, Quantum, & America’s R&D Engine
Listen to the latest episode of Memos to the President
Today we’re releasing another critical episode of Memos to the President. Ylli Bajraktari hosts a conversation with Darío Gil, the Undersecretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). I hope you enjoy the conversation.
In this episode of Memos to the President, Ylli sits down with Dr. Darío Gil, the Undersecretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
As a former senior executive at IBM and now the leader of America’s scientific powerhouse, Dr. Gil oversees 17 National Laboratories and over 40,000 scientists. The conversation focuses on the Genesis Mission, a bold national initiative designed to double the productivity of the U.S. research and development engine by fusing AI, Quantum computing, and High-Performance Computing (HPC).
From the “Star on Earth” (fusion energy) to the race for technological offset against China, this episode explores how the DOE is evolving to meet the strategic challenges of 2029 and beyond.
INSIDE THE EPISODE:
The Genesis Mission: Transforming the $1 trillion U.S. R&D landscape into a hyper-productive “discovery engine” through a unified digital platform.
The National Labs Legacy: Why the 17 National Laboratories are a “national treasure” and their critical role in the human genome, supercomputing, and nuclear security.
The Quantum Frontier: Moving past “supremacy” toward a scientifically relevant, error-corrected quantum computer.
The Three Horizons of Energy: Shoring up the grid, the renaissance of nuclear power, and the goal for fusion power plants by the early 2030s.
Strategic Rivalry: Addressing the “pace-setting competition” with China and the urgent need for a modern-day technological offset.
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