Artificial Intelligence

A National AI Initiative to Solve Key Challenges in Security and Science

Artificial intelligence is reshaping science, the tech industry, and human capital, as well as disrupting national security. To leverage rapid advances in AI, the United States must invest in research, supercomputing, data management, and an expert workforce. We’re in a pivotal race to gain advantage.

See how Los Alamos is establishing a framework that could guide national AI efforts in our AI Factsheet (pdf).

Artificial Intelligence holds the promise of qualitatively strengthening the laboratory's support for the nation. With its deep computing and AI capabilities and central role in national security, the Laboratory is uniquely positioned to utilize and benefit from this cutting edge technology.

The Laboratory has the supercomputers, algorithms, unmatched trove of big data and skilled scientific workforce needed to make sense of the AI revolution, its implications, and its utilization for scientific discovery and national security. 

Coming to grips with frontier AI will depend on close partnerships with the private sector. Los Alamos has collaborated with industry for many years to develop technologies that meet social needs while bolstering national security. The Lab is expanding these collaborations to include analyzing AI’s opportunities, unintended consequences, and threats. Labs like Los Alamos exist precisely for this kind of national initiative.

Investing in the future of AI

Los Alamos has successfully applied AI technologies such as machine learning to multiple mission areas. Recognizing the accelerated breakthroughs in AI, especially in foundational models as demonstrated in natural language applications, the Laboratory is making strategic investments to harness these potentially transformative approaches. For example, the Lab has invested in Venado— its next generation computational platform optimized for AI.

Building on these capabilities and earlier investments, this Signature Institutional Commitment will ensure that the Laboratory develops extensible, domain-specific, AI models related to its mission.

By investing in these domain-specific models, the Lab will have a cutting-edge capability in AI that will then be available for use by the broader community.

AI and the future of supercomputing

Los Alamos uses supercomputers for everything from studying fluid dynamics  to DNA research, as well as other data-intensive projects. These require immense amounts of computing power and, consequently, can take a long time to execute. But Venado—the Lab’s newest supercomputer—will use AI to completely transform those models.

Venado’s AI capabilities will help speed up simulations like these and improve their resolution, which will, in turn, bolster confidence in our strategic deterrent.

There's almost no field of science that isn't being changed by AI, and nearly all of the Laboratory’s missions are using it in some capacity. Researchers at the Lab are using AI to improve our ability to detect and guard against development of threats by potential adversaries.