AI Initiative

Accelerating scientific discovery and national security with AI

91�� has a rich tradition of artificial intelligence (AI) research dating back more than four decades and garnering more than ten patents. The laboratory’s AI Initiative is dedicated to ensuring secure, trustworthy, and energy efficient AI in the service of scientific research and national security.

Through this internal research investment, subject matter experts at ORNL leverage the laboratory’s computing infrastructure and software capabilities to expedite times to solution and realize the potential of AI in projects of national and international importance.

For example, the Initiative has helped multidisciplinary teams demonstrate that machine learning algorithms can be used to extract information from signals with low signal-to-noise ratios; develop algorithms capable of accelerating modeling and simulation with very little training data; and design novel biomimetic neuromorphic devices capable of detecting epileptic seizures.

91�� has unique expertise and facilities to advance the state of the art in artificial intelligence and apply it to the Department of Energy’s most pressing scientific and national security challenges.

- Prasanna Balaprakash, AI Program Director

UPCOMING EVENTS

AI Expo

April 2

91�� (ORNL) has a unique suite of expertise, compute capabilities, and user facilities to accelerate scientific breakthroughs. ORNL has demonstrated new capabilities in materials science, engineering design, modeling, optimization and control, smart laboratory and facilities, accelerated learning, and scalability using AI. AI has also been used in a wide range of domains across the laboratory and outside the laboratory.

The goal of the AI Expo is to:

Showcase ORNL’s AI capabilities
Highlight outstanding science and engineering based on AI across different domains
Enable possible collaboration opportunities between domain experts and AI experts across the laboratory
Highlight potential domain science needs addressable with AI
Identify potential research topics in AI

The Expo consists of keynote speeches, poster presentations, and a mini hackathon featuring hands-on experiences with frontier AI models, such as OpenAI’s o1 and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet models. ORNL staff interested and involved in AI research and application are welcome to attend.

EVENTS

1000 Scientist AI Jam

February 28, 2025

The Department of Energy national laboratories are working together to use artificial intelligence (Al) models for scientific research.

A better understanding and exploring the potential impact of AI reasoning models on national security and science and, in particular, how reasoning models may accelerate science more broadly is of national interest. Toward that end, the DOE national laboratories, in concert with OpenAI, are convening an “AI Jam Session” for scientists to explore the potential of multiple advanced AI models to tackle challenging scientific problems. This will be the first in a series of AI Jam Sessions involving multiple national l laboratories to gather data on model performance across a diverse range of realistic, representative tasks in scientific research and development. The outputs will serve as a first-pass proxy to extrapolate the potential impact of these tools for the scientific community.

AI Clinics

ORNL’s AI Initiative hosted more than 100 attendees over two days for the inaugural AI Clinic showcasing the potential for Frontier AI models. Photo: Prasanna Balaprakash

December 19, 2024

The inaugural AI initiative’s AI Clinic on December 19, 2024 showcased how two Frontier AI models—OpenAI’s o1 preview and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet—can accelerate scientific research. Over the course of the day, interdisciplinary teams of over 45 members tackled complex challenges, ranging from advanced materials research to climate modeling, into manageable AI-driven subproblems. Teams then presented their findings, demonstrating how tailored AI applications can enhance problem-solving, innovative approaches, and guide future research directions.

January 31, 2025

The second AI initiative’s AI Clinic on January 31, 2025 highlighted how Frontier AI models—OpenAI’s o1, Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Google Gemini—can accelerate scientific discovery. Throughout the day, interdisciplinary teams of over 60 members tackled complex challenges across key domains, including energy and climate modeling, secure and scalable computing, high-performance scientific workflows, materials science, and autonomous systems. Each team worked to break down these challenges into practical AI-driven solutions. From AI-powered fusion simulations and next-generation manufacturing to precision medicine and cybersecurity, participants showcased how tailored AI applications can enhance problem-solving, foster innovation, and shape future research directions.