United States: President Donald Trump will present Elon Musk and several leading technology executives with the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony on Thursday, according to the White House.
Who will receive the National Medal of Science?
Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, will receive the National Medal of Science alongside Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief executive Lisa Su.
The White House said the recipients had made significant contributions to science and technology and were helping maintain US leadership in innovation.
Computer executive Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the top US award in the technology field.
What is the significance of Musk’s award?
Musk has recently returned to close relations with Trump after the two fell out last year over Musk’s role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, a government cost-cutting initiative. Musk was also the largest individual donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Musk and Huang attended a White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. Several technology executives also met Trump at the White House last week, where industry leaders discussed voluntary measures to address potential risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Trump has repeatedly promoted artificial intelligence as central to what he calls a new “Golden Age” for the US economy, while dismissing warnings about the technology’s potential long-term risks.