Energy Department Proposes New AI Strategy for Science and Security

The Department of Energy (DOE) has formally proposed a new agency-wide initiative to harness and advance artificial intelligence for public benefit. This program, first mentioned in May, aims to elevate the U.S. to a leading position in AI capabilities for scientific, energy, and national security objectives.

Unveiled on Tuesday, the roadmap for the Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) initiative was shared with Axios. The plan leverages the DOE's 17 national laboratories to build energy-efficient AI supercomputers. These supercomputers could help advance AI technology without significantly increasing energy consumption, a major concern for Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

The DOE currently operates some of the world's fastest supercomputers, used for climate change research, energy research, and nuclear weapons modernization. The FASST initiative envisions aiding both DOE scientists and the broader scientific community in creating trustworthy AI models to drive breakthroughs in various fields, including clean energy technologies.

The proposal also aims to research the characteristics of large AI systems, not just their applications. Implementation of this proposal requires congressional authorization and funding. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate to support this initiative.