“Meta’s AI Chief Warns: Top U.S. Talent May Flee as Trump Moves to Cut Funding!”
Meta’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, has warned that U.S.-based researchers may flee abroad as the Trump administration pushes to slash public research funding.
“The U.S. seems set on destroying its public research funding system. Many scientists are looking for a Plan B,” LeCun wrote on LinkedIn, urging Europe to capitalize by offering better conditions.
The administration’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would eliminate billions in federal funding for biomedical research, triggering lawsuits from states and universities. A judge has temporarily blocked the cuts, but fears remain.
Former Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey Flier slammed the move, calling it something “a sane government would never do.”
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s cost-cutting “DOGE squad” has been deployed across federal agencies, including the NIH, EPA, NOAA, and NASA, adding to concerns over the future of U.S. scientific innovation.
Trump’s DEI Ban Sparks Fears of Scientific Censorship, Meta’s AI Chief Warns
Trump’s executive order against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates is raising alarm in the scientific community, with concerns it could stifle university research.
Scientific American reported that at least one university has warned researchers to avoid terms like “biodiversity” to evade detection by AI-based grant review systems.
Meta’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, sees this as an opportunity for Europe. “You may have a chance to attract some of the best scientists in the world,” he wrote, urging institutions to offer better conditions for researchers.
LeCun outlined seven key factors top scientists seek in research roles:
- Access to top students and collaborators
- Minimal administrative barriers to funding
- Competitive compensation
- Freedom to pursue groundbreaking research
- Cutting-edge facilities
- Flexibility to collaborate with industry
- Light teaching and admin duties
His message to Europe: “To attract the best minds, make research careers more appealing.”