🌍 World Summary
Vision Statement
In 2035, the US uses AI-powered forecasting to guide science funding and innovation policy. These forecasting models were build using rich innovation datasets: research papers, patents, and product descriptions. Strategic decisions have replaced guesswork, accelerating discovery, reducing inequity, and helping society adapt to global challenges with foresight and purpose. Federal agencies now allocate research funding and craft innovation policy in a way that optimizes future impact.
🔬 Technology
Predictive AI systems for science and technology outcomes and funding allocation
AI models forecast which research areas will drive the greatest impact and guides policy. It solved inefficiencies in Federal research funding by guiding investments to high-potential ideas, enabling faster breakthroughs and more equitable opportunity. As a result,human innovation is accelerating.
What kind of AI exists in your world?
AI exists as an ecosystem of predictive models that can forecast technology trajectories and predict the impact of different R&D investments. It simulates policy outcomes, and identifies gaps in talent and investment. Built by public-private research consortia and itself funded via Federal Grants, implemented as a system similar to ANLs Aurora GPT running on DOEs supercomputing infrastructure, it’s transparent, audited, and focused on public benefit.
New or Reformed Institution
The National Science and Technology Foresight Agency (NSTFA) is a new institution supporting AI-guided policy and decision making. This agency grew out of NSF and earlier offices that recognized the need for permanent capacity in strategic technology assessment. NSTFA curates national R&D data, maintains and updates foresight models, and helps align policy across agencies. It ensures US innovation policy is proactive, strategic, and equitable, and that human biases are no longer playing a role.
Transformed Sector
Science funding in 2035 is smarter, faster, and fairer. Predictive AI highlights high-impact research and gaps in equity, helping agencies fund the best ideas—regardless of geography or prestige. This led to more breakthroughs, broader participation, and better public outcomes. The tangible impact per Federal dollar spent has increased tenfold, allowing Federal Agencies to also optimize spending in other branches such as education and defense.
A Major Crisis Overcome
Between 2026 and 2028, Federal budget cuts and global tech competition triggered a research slowdown and talent exodus. By 2030, The U.S. fast-tracked the development its policy-predictive AI tools, using them to triage funding, rebuild talent pipelines, and guide a recovery from funding strategic areas to talent recruitment in high impact sectors. The crisis sparked long-term reform in science governance, and predictive AI systems proved essential in re-accelerating R&D.