​The subject of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is of rising concern to the federal government. Earlier this year, the President signed an executive order stating the primary importance of AI research in federal funding priorities.

But the rise in AI funding can be traced back before the order was signed, as is clearly shown in this clever visualization from the Quartz publication. The article tracks all federal awards of over $500,000 relating to AI since 2016. The explosion in the number and scale of these opportunities is clear for all to see.

Most of the funds were made available through five agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But efforts from other federal depa​​rtments are highlighted as well, such as the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to track opioid traffickers through the dark web. Several GRC members are represented in the charts.

For a convenient rundown of funding opportunities relating to AI within two of the larger agencies, please click the following links:

• National Science Foundation
• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency