White House Backs AI-Powered Pediatric Cancer Research

A new White House executive order aims to accelerate medical innovation through artificial intelligence, allocating $50 million in federal research grants to develop cures for pediatric cancers.

The order builds on the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) — a federal, decennial investment in childhood cancer research launched during Trump’s first term — to integrate AI and other advanced technologies to improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pediatric cancer.

“It’s very exciting to see the president address the critical importance of data in cancer research, especially pediatric cancer research. I hope this is just the first of several executive orders to direct the country to use all the tools it has to fight this terrible situation,” former NCI CIO Jeff Shilling told GovCIO Media & Research in a statement.

The directive doubles CCDI’s budget from $50 to $100 million to provide “stronger data” to the federal government for childhood disease treatment and prevention.

“For years, we’ve been amassing data about childhood cancer, but until now, we’ve been unable to fully exploit this trove of information and apply it to practical medicine,” said President Donald Trump on Sept. 30 during the order signing.

Aligning with Make America Health Again Strategy

The directive follows the administration’s overall Make America Health Again (MAHA) plan that calls for expanding the use of AI across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The MAHA Commission will collaborate with the private sector and academia to accelerate AI adoption throughout the federal government, HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy said during the order signing.

“The [National Institutes of Health (NIH)] will expand research, while the private sector and universities will bring their best tools to the table together,” Kennedy added.

The White House and the MAHA Commission released a strategy report in September calling for increased AI adoption and data sharing across federal agencies. Both the report and the executive order align with the administration’s broader AI Action Plan, introduced in July 2025, which seeks to advance federal-level AI implementation.

The report further instructs HHS to prioritize AI integration to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of chronic diseases, including pediatric cancers. It directs HHS — in partnership with NIH and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) — to apply an “evidence-based and AI-driven approach” that can scale for future research.

“We now have the best tools in the world to turn the CCDI data into the building blocks of life changing breakthroughs,” said OSTP Director Michael Kratsios at the order signing last week.

Kennedy added that the order will enable HHS to integrate AI into its interoperability networks and improve user experience with electronic health records and claims data. Together with the strategy report’s recommendations, he said, the directive will help the agency strengthen its data infrastructure and advance AI-driven health innovation.

“This means building stronger data systems, using AI to decode complex biology and designing better clinical trials that deliver faster, more effective treatments,” Kennedy said.