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White House Updates Critical Technology List, Removing Data Centers and AR, Adding Post-Quantum Cryptography
Key points
- CET list reduced from 18 to 14 categories.
- Data centers, batteries, AR/VR removed from the list.
- Post-quantum cryptography, integrated photonics, high entropy alloys added.
- List guides export controls, investment screening, and R&D funding.
CET List Undergoes Significant Revision
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has released an updated National Security Science & Technology Strategy, which includes a revised Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) list. This marks the first update to the list since February 2024, resulting in a reduction from 18 to 14 categories.
Key Removals and Additions
Several technologies have been removed from the CET list, including advanced cloud services, high-performance data storage and data centers, batteries, grid integration, gas turbine engines, and augmented and virtual reality. New additions to the list include post-quantum cryptography, integrated photonics, high entropy alloys, and hardened operating systems for consumer use.
Impact on Federal Policy
The CET list is a foundational document for federal agencies, influencing critical policy areas such as export control regulations, foreign investment screening through CFIUS, evaluation of federally funded research proposals, and the prioritization of research and development budgets. Changes to this list therefore have direct implications for national security and technological competitiveness.
The removal of data centers, for instance, aligns with a strategy to complement private sector investment, as hyperscalers are already building significant capacity in this area, reducing the need for federal research prioritization.
Specific Category Adjustments
Advanced gas turbine engine technologies and human-machine interfaces, including AR/VR, have been entirely removed. Neurotechnologies were reclassified under biotechnology, with brain-computer interfaces reappearing under future computing. Clean energy generation and storage were replaced by a nuclear-focused category. The advanced computing category was renamed future computing technologies, losing cloud services and data centers, but gaining edge computing for tactical environments, photonic and neuromorphic modalities, and advanced spatial computing. AI-related categories were also refined, replacing "technologies for improving AI safety, trust, security, and responsible use" with "interpretability and control" and "adversarial robustness and AI security."
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy revised its Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) list, reducing it from 18 to 14 categories. This update removes technologies like data centers, batteries, and augmented reality, while adding post-quantum cryptography, integrated photonics, and high entropy alloys. The CET list guides federal agencies in setting export controls, screening investments, vetting research proposals, and prioritizing R&D budgets.