Washington: US President Donald Trump has honoured six prominent technology leaders, including Indian-origin Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, with the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, recognizing their contributions to scientific research and technological development.
The awards were presented on Thursday at the Science: A New Golden Age summit in Washington. Nadella and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, while SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su were awarded the National Medal of Science.
The ceremony brought together leading figures from the technology industry, with a focus on advances in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor engineering, cloud computing and space exploration.
Trump Praises Nadella’s Leadership at Microsoft
Trump praised Nadella for helping transform Microsoft into a global technology leader, particularly through its expansion in cloud computing and its growing role in artificial intelligence.
Highlighting Nadella’s leadership over more than three decades, Trump said he had helped position Microsoft at the forefront of technological development. He also credited the company’s cloud computing infrastructure with supporting the development and global deployment of advanced AI systems.
The award citation recognized Nadella’s role in revitalising Microsoft for the cloud computing era and building infrastructure to support advanced artificial intelligence.
Michael Dell was honoured for expanding access to personal and enterprise computing and building a global technology company.
Musk, Brin, Huang and Su Recognized for Scientific Contributions
Musk received the National Medal of Science for his engineering achievements across space exploration, communications and intelligent systems. Trump praised his work on reusable rockets and the Starlink satellite network, describing him as a modern-day Thomas Edison.
Brin was recognized for developing foundational algorithms that changed how people access and process information. Trump also noted his renewed involvement in Google’s work on advanced artificial intelligence.
Huang received the award for his contributions to graphics processing technology and computing architecture, which have helped power modern AI systems and scientific computing.
Su was honoured for her contributions to semiconductor engineering and high-performance computing. Her work in processor architecture and chip integration has supported advances in computing performance.
US Sets Sights on AI, Quantum Computing and Nuclear Energy
During the summit, Trump outlined his administration’s priorities for maintaining US leadership in science and technology. These include artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nuclear energy and space exploration.
He also referred to efforts to develop a quantum computer for scientific discovery by 2028, along with the Genesis Mission and a White House accord on superintelligence.
The National Medal of Science recognizes outstanding contributions to scientific knowledge, while the National Medal of Technology and Innovation honours achievements that advance technology and strengthen innovation in the United States.