Before we talk about our recent work on AI consciousness, I would like to preface with the following:

Manuel and I are theoretical computer scientists. Theoretical computer science (TCS) is a branch of mathematics that studies computation under resource limitations: what is possible, what is not. TCS is to computer science what theoretical physics is to physics. We do basic research, sometimes called “curiosity driven” research. While “curiosity driven” may seem frivolous, even self-indulgent, such research has driven the US economy, certainly since the mid 20th century. And while we are not entrepreneurs, we are entrepreneurial.

Out-of-the-box thinking has led to unexpected discoveries and applications. Who would have thought that a pure mathematical field called number theory would be the engine behind modern-day cryptography? That an esoteric notion called entropy would lead to fast communication? That a simple mathematical model of computation would open the door to artificial intelligence?

As with all scientific discoveries, we must be mindful of unintended, even harmful, consequences. But today I am concerned that we are seeing the beginning of the end of basic scientific research as we know it in the US. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been a major target of this administration. Now it is the National Science Foundation (NSF), the major funder of non-medical scientific research in the US.

The NSF has enabled the support of PhD students at universities across the nation. It has enabled us to attract the best and brightest students from the US and abroad who now are leaders, educating next generation scientists at universities across the country and fueling out economy. Our own students are professors at MIT, CMU, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, Yale, UPenn, … . They have charted new research directions (including computational learning theory, cryptography, proof checkers, and quantum computation) and companies (including Algorand and DuoLingo) emanating from basic research.

These students have come from all over the world, including the US, India, Israel, Italy, China, Guatemala. And did we mention that Manuel is from Venezuela? The big chill created by the current administration (both in terms of its disdain for science and for Immigrants) is already having a devastating effect on our ability to attract the next generation of scientists.

If the administration thinks that the US can keep its lead in generating new science and new technology, then think again. In addition to having taught at MIT, Berkeley and CMU, we have also taught undergraduate students at Peking U. These students were the most curiosity driven students we have ever encountered. Previously, many came to the US for graduate studies. No longer. They will be the leaders of science and technology of tomorrow that we can’t yet even contemplate.

We are distressed with the dismantling of DEI programs, particularly in science. We have spent our careers working formally and informally to increase the full participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields. At CMU we have led the way in creating gender parity in the most competitive CS program on the planet. It will be devastating to our economy to dismantle such programs at a time when we need full participation in our research endeavors and in our work force.