- Utah launched the $5 million AI Moonshot Program to fund projects that promote "pro-human" AI, with grants of up to $1 million available.
- The initiative reflects Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s efforts to promote AI development in a way that helps rather than hurts people.
- The program seeks proposals in areas including health care, human flourishing, natural resources, autonomous technology and other high-impact innovations, with applications open Aug. 1 through Oct. 15.
Utah is offering $5 million in grants to help develop pro-human artificial intelligence.
As the state continues to grapple with how to deal with increasingly intelligent AI, Gov. Spencer Cox said Utah will “embrace” its potential and ensure it “serve(s) our families and neighbors in meaningful ways.”
“Instead of watching from the sidelines, we are stepping forward with the ingenuity that has always defined our state, actively guiding the future of technology to enhance the lives of every Utahn,” Cox said upon announcing the initiative, dubbed the Utah AI Moonshot Program.
In the past several years, Utah’s Legislature has attempted to pass guardrails for AI models and development. The state’s multifaceted approach has earned both praise and criticism from the federal government.
For example, HB286, which includes child-focused AI regulation, garnered sharp criticism from the White House, because it “goes against the Administration’s AI Agenda.”
On the hand, Utah’s Office of AI Policy, which was established in 2024, has been widely liked by national leaders. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a bill last September to create a similar program federally. Utah’s AI office allows developers to negotiate with state leaders about regulatory agreements when launching their products. The office serves as both a regulator and a space for research and innovation.
What kinds of AI projects is Utah looking for?
Cox has asked that project proposals fit within one of several fields:
- Strengthening human connection and human flourishing.
- Improving the medical field through better medical devices, precision medicine, digital health and more.
- Bolstering Utah’s natural resources and infrastructure through improved air quality monitoring, advanced forecasting, precision agriculture and resilient environmental systems.
- Advancing autonomous technology like uncrewed aircraft, robotics, advanced manufacturing and space operations.
- Any other new opportunities for innovation, discovery and public impact.
The project is funded by the Higher Education Research Funding Pilot (HERFP) and administered by the Nucleus Institute.
Applications for the Utah AI Moonshot Program open Aug. 1 and are due by Oct. 15.
University students are encouraged to apply
The Moonshot Program’s grants are divided into three groups: Spark Grants, which are up to $50,000; Pathfinder Grants, which are up to $200,000; and Moonshot Awards, which are up to $1 million.
The program is “intentionally structured” to welcome student and rural innovators to apply alongside established research institutions.
Applications must be sponsored and presented by the president of a Utah university.