Verónica Castro-AllendeThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $68 million in funding for 11 multi-institutional projects aimed at advancing the development of AI foundation models. These AI models, critical for medical research, mathematical sciences, and workflow automation, are designed to be highly adaptable across a range of applications. Foundation models, trained on large, diverse datasets, play a pivotal role in accelerating scientific discoveries. With this funding, researchers will focus on improving the energy efficiency and privacy-preserving capabilities of these models, ensuring that AI technologies remain reliable and secure in protecting sensitive data. As outlined in Executive Order 14110, this initiative aligns with the broader goals of advancing socially accountable AI innovation in scientific fields. The DOE aims to foster long-term collaboration and groundbreaking discoveries through these projects, which include applications in medical AI and energy-efficient algorithms. By prioritizing energy efficiency, the department is paving the way for AI-driven breakthroughs that are both sustainable and secure. This initiative highlights the critical role that AI foundation models will play in transforming medical research and other scientific endeavors in the years to come.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced$ 68m funding for 11 multi-institution projects aimed at advancing the development of foundation models, a critical building block of AI technology.
These projects will concentrate on developing AI models that have large applications in medical research, accelerating mathematical science, and automating workflows.
Important capital is placed in foundation models
Foundation models are a branch of a machine learning or profound learning framework that are trained on big, varied datasets.
These models are adaptable to a wide range of tasks, from medical programming to robotic laboratory procedures.
With this funding, researchers will not just create foundation models, but they will also look into novel ways to improve their energy efficiency and privacy-preserving abilities.
The DOE aims to make sure that AI technologies protect sensitive data while also providing useful insights by training models that use privacy-preserving and distributed methods.
This step aligns with the department’s broader goals to secure the reliable use of AI in scientific discovery, as outlined in Executive Order 14110 from the White House.
Energy-efficient and stable AI foundation models
Ceren Susut, DOE’s Associate Director of Science for Advanced Scientific Computing Research, emphasized the potential of AI in medical research and noted that the department’s efforts will improve the reliability and energy efficiency of AI applications.
The advancement of AI is encouraging us to think about more quickly and effectively, Susut said. These research efforts will increase the reliability and energy efficiency of medical AI, thereby boosting the potential of AI to speed up scientific discovery.
There are a lot of different uses for AI, from the lab to the field to conducting clinical research.
The development of energy-efficient AI algorithms and hardware is one of the supported projects ‘ objectives, which will help the DOE’s efforts to promote socially accountable innovation.
Another important area is the use of privacy-preserving models that allow institutions to collaborate without compromising privacy while protecting personal and sensitive data during Artificial processes.
Diverse applications and long-term funding
The range of projects that receive funding includes a wide range of medical applications. This includes examining how foundation models expand in terms of complexity and size, as well as developing Artificial models using data from multiple institutions.
The DOE’s Funding Opportunity Announcement for Advancements in Artificial Intelligence for Science includes the selected projects. The total funding for fiscal year 2024 includes$ 20 million, with more funding for the following years based on legislative funding.
The projects will span up to three years, fostering long-term collaboration and innovation across research institutions.
The DOE initiative emphasizes the value of foundation models in the development of AI-driven medical discovery.
The department is setting the stage for AI to play a crucial role in upcoming technological breakthroughs by improving the energy efficiency and security of these models.
