Brown University and National Labs Convene on AI for Scientific Discovery
Researchers from five U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories met with Brown University faculty, staff and students on May 14 to discuss how artificial intelligence can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in energy, materials science and other fields.
The daylong conference, Brown's second National Labs Day, brought together 18 scientists from Brookhaven, Fermilab, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos and Sandia laboratories with more than 150 Brown community members. Sessions covered AI applications in energy technologies, basic science, national security and workforce development.
Greg Hirth, Brown's vice president for research, said the university's collaborations with national labs are essential to solving pressing problems. "Today, we're going to be hearing about the cutting edge of AI, which, of course, is on everyone's mind," he said in opening remarks.
Current and Emerging Partnerships
Brown researchers have worked with national laboratories on practical applications including better batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and next-generation solar cells. Physics collaborations address fundamental questions: the nature of dark matter, high-energy plasma dynamics and the behavior of fundamental particles.
Brendan Keith, an assistant professor of applied mathematics, works with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on computer-driven material and structural design. George Karniadakis, a professor of engineering and applied mathematics, directs SEA-CROGS, a partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Sandia that develops computational tools to analyze complex systems.
The Department of Energy's AI Strategy
James Ang, chief data scientist for computing at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, delivered the keynote address on the Genesis Mission, a Department of Energy initiative using AI to accelerate discovery science.
The initiative organizes around three focus areas: AI for science, AI for energy and AI for security. "Those are really the focus points for the Department of Energy," Ang said. "These are our application drivers for the development of new technology for AI."
Forty posters at the conference showcased research across Brown's physics, chemistry, engineering and computer science departments, giving students direct access to national laboratory scientists.
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