Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Venado supercomputer has started running a series of OpenAI models to complete national security research for the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, the Department of Energy announced Aug. 28.
The Venado supercomputer, which DOE says is the 19th fastest supercomputer in the world, moved to a classified network earlier this year, according to a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) news release. Currently, it is being used to assist NNSA research into the aging of plutonium. The supercomputer is used to help NNSA determine whether the stockpile of nuclear weapons needs new plutonium pits or can use recycled older pits.
To accelerate the research, Los Alamos is running the latest o-series reasoning models from artificial intelligence agency OpenAI, the creator of AI interface ChatGPT founded by former Oklo nuclear power company chairman Sam Altman. The o-series models are specialized models designed with the aim to complete complex reasoning tasks quickly.
“Artificial Intelligence will be the defining technology of the 21st century, and NNSA is already examining how AI intersects with our national security mission,” Acting NNSA Administrator Teresa Robbins said in the release. “We are currently harnessing our premier computing power to support AI integration by analyzing diagnostic data, optimizing experimental designs and improving our facility operations. Los Alamos’ new partnership with OpenAI will assist Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and, Sandia national laboratories with our most pressing national security problems.”