DOE Science Nominee Bullish on AI, Quantum, and Fusion

Darío Gil, the nominee for under secretary of science at the Department of Energy, told senators last week that he is committed to boosting cutting-edge research in emerging technologies.

“It is time to build a quantum-centric supercomputer. It is time to elevate the capability of AI to advance scientific discovery and do problem-solving in ways we couldn’t do. It is time now in fusion to shave off decades of development time cycles,” Gil said at his nomination hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “If we do not succeed on those and we have rival nations like China get ahead of us, the consequences will be terrible,” he continued.

Over the next four or five years, the world is going to witness “some of the most consequential advances in technology, not just in the last 100 years, but probably that have ever been achieved,” Gil said, committing to “marshal every resource that we have” to “make sure that we succeed in this great race.” Gil, who is currently chair of the National Science Board and director of research at IBM, also stressed the board’s support for Congress to develop a National Defense Education Act 2.0 that would boost STEM education in the U.S.

“There was a seminal moment in the 1950s where there was a need to mobilize all the resources of the country, to educate teachers, to support teachers, to foment Americans entering into STEM and, at the time, foreign languages and so on. And we really believe that the moment has come to do something equivalent right now,” Gil said. “When you look at STEM graduation rates in China as an example, compared to what we do, we have a lot to be concerned about.”

Engaging more young people in science is the “single most important thing that we should focus on,” Gil said, adding that he would love to work with members of Congress to “really take serious action that requires local, state, and federal coordination to achieve.”

Committee Chair Mike Lee (R-UT) noted that Gil is slated to oversee DOE’s national labs, which he said are “home to some of the most advanced research on Earth” but also “vulnerable to infiltration by hostile foreign interests.” Lee then asked Gil, “how do you plan to ensure that these sensitive innovations are protected from foreign espionage and from theft, especially from China?”

Drawing on his experience at IBM, Gil said he is “keenly aware of theft of intellectual property” by the Chinese government, describing it as a “very bad actor in this space.”

“I’m very much committed to working with you and all the members of this committee to implement ways and improvements with which we can protect our most sensitive technology,” Gil said.

Gil testified at the hearing alongside Preston Wells Griffith III, the nominee for under secretary of energy. During the Biden administration, the under secretary for science oversaw the department’s science and applied energy R&D offices, while a separate “under secretary for infrastructure” oversaw the department’s energy technology deployment and loan programs. Griffith’s title does not include “infrastructure,” suggesting the Trump administration may change the scope of the role.

Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) questioned whether Griffith and Gil would oversee the same portfolios as the previous under secretaries. Heinrich, like some other Democrats on the committee, also raised concerns about recent DOE workforce cuts, as well as grant and loan funding freezes. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also pressed the nominees to work “expeditiously” to release funds for energy projects that were appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“Congress has the power of the purse,” Griffith said, adding that he would follow the law and disperse government funds accordingly if confirmed. Energy Secretary Chris Wright offered similar assurances during his nomination hearing but Senate Democrats have argued he is not keeping his word, pointing to reports that DOE is drafting lists of projects to cancel.