Los Alamos opens AI Tech Lab to accelerate AI-driven national security research

Mark Chadwick cut the ribbon at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s new Artificial Intelligence Technology Lab on Feb. 26, 2026, in Los Alamos, N.M., joined in the photo by Computing and Artificial Intelligence Division leaders Aric Hagberg and Aimee Hungerford, with photo credit to Los Alamos National Laboratory. LANL published a media profile the same day announcing the ribbon‑cutting and the lab’s operational start.

LANL described the AI Tech Lab as a hub “to accelerate the pace of discovery” and said explicitly, “The acceleration hub supports Los Alamos National Laboratory’s priorities around AI reasoning. It will serve as a central space to foster innovation and develop AI solutions that directly impact national security missions.” The lab is positioned as a central site where ideas are turned into deployable AI capabilities tied to national security work at the Laboratory.

The opening drew private‑sector attention. Kevin Weil, chief product officer at OpenAI, visited and said, “Today, I have the privilege of visiting Los Alamos National Laboratory and witnessing firsthand the dedication of its researchers. I’m more convinced than ever that AI can accelerate breakthroughs in science—what once took years could happen in months. By partnering closely with institutions like Los Alamos, we’re committed to unlocking discoveries that improve lives and strengthen our future.” LANL has previously collaborated with OpenAI on projects that assessed model reasoning and AI safety, and the Laboratory’s use of external models is now part of workflows across the national labs.

The AI Tech Lab is the home of ArtIMis, the AI for Mission project, and the facility hosted an ArtIMis daylong hackathon as part of its initial programming. LANL said multidisciplinary teams of data scientists, machine learning researchers and domain experts will work side by side in the space. Initial activities include “developing AI-enabled modeling and reasoning tools that enhance simulation, prediction and decision support across national security mission areas,” the lab statement notes.

The AI Tech Lab sits within a rapidly evolving computing environment at Los Alamos. As of Aug. 28, 2025, the Venado supercomputer had moved to a classified network earlier that year and was running OpenAI’s latest o‑series reasoning models to accelerate national security research. Venado uses NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, is described as the 19th-fastest supercomputer in the world, and serves as a shared resource for researchers at the National Nuclear Security Administration laboratories.

Los Alamos has also announced two new systems, Mission and Vision, with Mission described as focused on national security science and slated to be operational in 2027, while Vision will be available for unclassified work and accelerate Laboratory Directed Research and Development projects including national security, materials and nuclear science, energy modeling, and biomedical research. Ian Buck of NVIDIA said, “With Mission and Vision, powered by NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI, Los Alamos will push the boundaries of simulation and generative intelligence—advancing science and pioneering the next era of high-performance research for the nation.”

The AI Tech Lab arrival ties into wider Department of Energy AI efforts such as CM2US, the Critical Minerals and Materials to Unlock Supply initiative led by twelve DOE national laboratories that lists Los Alamos among participants and that uses AI across the supply chain from mining to manufacturing. LANL has not released specific budget, staff headcount or square‑footage figures for the AI Tech Lab; timelines and technical details for Mission and Vision remain subject to finalization as the Laboratory advances its AI computing roadmap.