Summary
Peter Diamandis interviews Michael Kratsios, the 13th director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and science adviser to President Trump, in a wide-ranging conversation about the U.S. government’s approach to AI and the future of American scientific research. Kratsios outlines three landmark policy initiatives he has architected: America’s AI Action Plan (the administration’s roadmap for competing globally in AI), the Genesis Mission (a Manhattan Project-style effort to accelerate scientific discovery using AI agents), and the New Golden Age blueprint (a framework for rewarding unconventional research and dramatically increasing discovery rates).
A recurring theme is Kratsios’s distinction between technologies “born free” — like the 1990s internet, where government restraint enabled growth — and technologies “born in captivity,” such as AI-powered medical diagnostics and commercial drones, where affirmative government action is required before benefits can reach the public. He argues the EU AI Act, finalized before ChatGPT existed, illustrates the danger of premature regulation, and advocates for careful, targeted intervention rather than broad legislative frameworks.
The conversation also touches on specific near-term federal commitments including returning humans to the Moon by 2028, establishing lunar base elements by 2030, and deploying a nuclear reactor in space by 2028. Kratsios addresses Elon Musk’s economic projections, the administration’s response to AI-enabled cybersecurity incidents, and why he believes robotics — like semiconductors before it — needs a strategic push to counter Chinese subsidization.
📺 Source: Peter H. Diamandis · Published August 04, 2026
🏷️ Format: Interview
