Trump Signs Pediatric Cancer AI Executive Order After Cutting Billions in Research Funding

President Trump signed an executive order on September 30, 2025, titled ‘Unlocking Cures for Pediatric Cancer with Artificial Intelligence,’ committing an additional $50 million to explore AI applications in pediatric cancer research. The order directs the MAHA Commission to coordinate with HHS, the White House AI and Science advisors, and the Special Advisor for AI and Crypto to develop AI-driven solutions for childhood cancer diagnoses, treatments, and prevention.

While presented as a major healthcare initiative, the $50 million commitment represents a token gesture compared to the Trump administration’s simultaneous proposals to slash billions from the National Cancer Institute and other medical research agencies. Critics note that the order creates favorable optics while the administration systematically defunds the broader cancer research infrastructure that makes such advances possible.

The executive order also exemplifies how AI policy is being coordinated by political appointees including a ‘Special Advisor for AI and Crypto,’ rather than through established scientific and medical research processes. By centralizing control over research priorities and funding allocation in politically appointed committees, the order demonstrates how even well-intentioned initiatives can be leveraged to consolidate executive control over scientific research direction and resource allocation.