The Department of Energy has issued a request for information to explore the formation of a public-private consortium focused on curating scientific data from national laboratories for artificial intelligence applications.
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According to the RFI published Thursday on SAM.gov, DOE also expects the consortium to develop self-improving AI models for science and engineering and make them available to the scientific community through government, private sector and academic programs and infrastructure, including the use of cloud platforms. The move is part of the department’s effort to harness AI for scientific discovery, energy innovation and national security.
What Input Is DOE Seeking About the AI-Focused Consortium?
DOE is requesting feedback from businesses, research organizations, think tanks and investors on how to best structure partnerships between national labs and industry.
Stakeholders are asked to provide input on data curation, privacy-preserving AI methods and the integration of general-purpose AI models with scientific datasets. The RFI also seeks guidance on identifying data modalities, evaluating AI model performance and determining the best mechanisms for cloud-based distribution of AI models to drive innovation.
DOE wants advice on governance, intellectual property rights and the use of the other transaction authority to promote innovation while protecting U.S. research, technology and manufacturing interests. The department is also seeking input from stakeholders on lessons learned from existing AI consortia and less-traditional award structures that could inform the development of the consortium effort.
Responses are due Jan. 14.
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