Energy Continues Global Innovator Role through AI FASST Program

The Department of Energy (DOE) has a long-standing legacy as the world’s foremost innovator in computing science and leading originator of scientific data.

The recently proposed Department of Energy AI Act will cement the United States’ position as a secure global leader in AI science and technology through the establishment of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) research and development (R&D) initiative.

And while AI has recently become an industry buzzword, it is not new to Energy. Energy AI research began in the mid-1950s. Since then, the Department has produced numerous AI foundation models trained and developed on broad data inputs and adapted to a variety of tasks. Most recently, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory partnered with industry to conduct clinical trials on an AI-designed cancer drug and discover new battery materials. Los Alamos National Laboratory’s new Venada supercomputer will train future AI foundational models for use in climate research technologies and National Nuclear Security Administration missions.

“Artificial intelligence is an innovative technology that can help unleash breakthroughs in energy technologies and enhance our national security,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “FASST builds on DOE's role as the nation's steward of advanced supercomputing and research infrastructure across our 17 national labs to provide a national capability in AI and enable technological breakthroughs for decades to come.” 

Under the DOE AI Act and the FASST program, the Department will:  

• Aggregate, curate, and distribute AI training datasets
• Develop and deploy next-generation computing platforms and infrastructure
• Develop and deploy safe and trustworthy AI models and systems, and
• Tune and adapt AI models and systems for pressing scientific, energy, and national security applications.

Additionally, the Agency will develop a strategic AI plan, establish at least eight multi-disciplinary AI research and development (R&D) centers and strengthen support the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program. Through the program, Energy will work to deliver five agency-defined key national interest assets:

• Advance National Security. The development of AI models for national security applications, such as threat detection and strategic deterrence is crucial to maintaining America’s defensive posture.
• Attract and build a talented workforce. FASST is the most ambitious AI initiative of its kind. This mission will attract, train, and retain top scientific talent for a leading capability deployed in the public interest.
• Harness AI for Scientific Discovery. FASST will develop AI tools that will dramatically reduce the time to discovery and extend the nation’s competitive edge in technological innovation.
• Address Energy Challenges. FASST will unlock new clean energy sources, optimize energy production, and improve grid resilience, and build tomorrow’s advanced energy economy. America needs low-cost energy to support economic growth and FASST can help us meet this challenge.
• Develop technical expertise necessary for AI governance. FASST will provide insight and independent expertise to quickly inform and validate standards and regulations for a responsible and safe AI industry.

The Department outlined its plan for delivering these assets through these four interdependent pillars of the  FASST Framework:

 

Under this framework, the Department will establish the AI R&D centers within the National Laboratory infrastructure in collaboration with academia, public and private industry. The agency will capitalize on the enormous scientific data repository, expertise and experience of more than 40,000 scientists and researchers to merge existing supercomputing platforms and algorithms with machine learning and digital infrastructure to test, train and validate new scientific AI models. 

The Information Technology (IT)-heavy and research-intense work will primarily occur at the laboratories. However, FASST will create opportunities beyond the Department of Energy and the IT/R&D fields. Increased energy demands at large data centers supercomputing centers will drive the need for higher capacity transmission conduits (i.e., fiber optics, cabling, etc.) and cooling capabilities in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction market. AI-founded inventions will create design, engineering and manufacturing opportunities. Establishing and maintaining the highly technical workforce to keep pace with the evolving technology will drive the need for AI-specific employee curriculum design and delivery support. Furthermore, necessary support activities from processing payroll to janitorial services and transportation/delivery services, will eventually benefit from process and productivity improvements from the FASST program.

These efforts also continue changing the federal procurement processes. Increased use of existing Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) and Best-in-Class (BIC) vehicles will open opportunities for businesses that previously could not compete for larger all-inclusive contracts. On the other hand, as the government seeks efficiencies and cost reduction methods, streamlined AI-driven processes could conversely reduce contracting opportunities through the consolidation of smaller efforts into larger contracts. AI-related updates to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program (CMMC) and guidelines for patents and handling classified and unclassified information will change the way firms prepare proposal submissions and fulfill contract requirements. The competitive market for AI is increasing government wide. Firms can position themselves now to successfully compete for immediate and long-term work through mergers and acquisitions, increased joint ventures and strategic teaming partnerships.