Data Science in the News

DOE honors seven early-career Lab scientists

Seven LLNL scientists are recipients of the DOE's Office of Science Early Career Research Program (ECRP) award. Among them is Shusen Liu, a computer scientist in the Machine Intelligence Group in the Center for Applied Scientific Computing. His work focuses on understanding and interpreting the inner mechanisms of neural networks and integrating human domain knowledge with machine...

Measuring attack vulnerability in AI/ML models

LLNL is advancing the safety of AI/ML models in materials design, bioresilience, cyber security, stockpile surveillance, and many other areas. A key line of inquiry is model robustness, or how well it defends against adversarial attacks. A paper accepted to the renowned 2024 International Conference on Machine Learning explores this issue in detail. In “Adversarial Robustness Limits via...

Data Science Challenge sees summer surge

Lawrence Livermore welcomed students from four institutions for this year’s Data Science Challenge (DSC) internship program. Hosted by the DSI, the DSC gives undergraduate and graduate students a taste of the multidisciplinary research performed at national laboratories. In addition to UC Merced and UC Riverside, participants hailed from two new partnering institutions: Case Western Reserve...

International workshop focuses on AI for critical infrastructure

On August 4, LLNL researchers Felipe Leno da Silva and Ruben Glatt hosted the AI for Critical Infrastructure workshop at the 33rd International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) in Jeju, South Korea. Professors Wencong Su (University of Michigan – Dearborn) and Yi Wang (University of Hong Kong) joined them in organizing the workshop focused on exploring AI opportunities and...

Evaluating trust and safety of large language models

Accepted to the 2024 International Conference on Machine Learning, two Livermore papers examined trustworthiness—how a model uses data and makes decisions—of large language models, or LLMs. In “TrustLLM: Trustworthiness in Large Language Models,” Bhavya Kailkhura and collaborators from universities and research organizations around the world developed a comprehensive trustworthiness...

Department of Energy announces FASST initiative

On July 16, the Department of Energy formally announced the proposed Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security and Technology (FASST) initiative via the web page www.energy.gov/fasst (with accompanying video and fact sheet). As stated on the web page, the speed and scale of the AI landscape are significant motivators for investing in strategic AI capabilities: “Without FASST...

AI, fusion, and national security with Brian Spears (VIDEO)

This episode of the Eye on AI podcast delves into the cutting-edge world of AI and high-performance computing with Brian Spears, director of LLNL's AI Innovation Incubator. The episode is presented here as a video with the following description: "Brian shares his experience in driving AI into national security science and managing the nation’s nuclear stockpile. With a PhD in mechanical...

Signal and image science community comes together for annual workshop

Nearly 150 members of the signal and image science community recently came together to discuss the latest advances in the field and connect with colleagues, friends, and potential collaborators at the 28th annual Center for Advanced Signal and Image Science (CASIS) workshop. The event featured more than 50 technical contributions across six workshop tracks and a parallel tutorials session...

DOE, LLNL take center stage at inaugural AI expo

Held May 7–8 in Washington, DC, the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) AI Expo showcased groundbreaking initiatives in AI and emerging technologies. Kim Budil and other Lab speakers presented at center stage and the DOE exhibition booth. LLNL is rapidly expanding research investments to build transformative AI-driven solutions to critical national security challenges. While developing...

Statistical framework synchronizes medical study data

The risks and benefits of heart surgery, chemotherapy, vaccination, and other medical treatments can change based on the time of day they are administered. These variations arise in part due to changes in gene expression levels throughout the 24-hour day-night cycle, with around 50% of genes displaying oscillatory behavior. To evaluate new therapies, investigators study how a gene’s...

FAA awards approval for drone swarm testing

LLNL’s Autonomous Sensors team has received the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) first and—to date—only certificate of authorization allowing autonomous drone swarming exercises on the Lab main campus. These flights will test swarm controls and sensor payloads used in a variety of national security applications. Autonomous drone swarms differ from those used for entertainment...

Harnessing the power of AI for a safe and secure future (VIDEO)

LLNL, alongside the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) 17 national labs, is harnessing the transformative potential of AI for a safer, more secure future. In 2022, LLNL made history by achieving fusion ignition, marking a pivotal moment for national security and clean energy. While AI continues to unlock new insights into fusion, through the combination of cutting-edge computer modeling...

Welcome new DSI team members

When Data Science Institute (DSI) director Brian Giera and deputy director Cindy Gonzales began planning activities for fiscal year 2024 and beyond, they immediately realized that LLNL’s growth in data science and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) research requires corresponding growth in the DSI’s efforts. “Our field is booming,” Giera states. “The Lab has a stake in the...

WiDS Livermore conference attendees network, share research and absorb wisdom

Co-sponsored by the DSI, LLNL on March 13 hosted the 7th annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference for data scientists, industry professionals, recent graduates and others interested in the field. As an independent satellite of the global WiDS conference celebrating International Women’s Day, the Livermore hybrid event was held to highlight the work and careers of LLNL and regional data...

Machine learning tool fills in the blanks for satellite light curves

When viewed from Earth, objects in space are seen at a specific brightness, called apparent magnitude. Over time, ground-based telescopes can track a specific object’s change in brightness. This time-dependent magnitude variation is known as an object’s light curve, and can allow astronomers to infer the object’s size, shape, material, location, and more. Monitoring the light curve of...

Register for WiDS Livermore on March 13

The annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference returns on Wednesday, March 13. This is the seventh year for WiDS Livermore, which is independently organized by LLNL to be part of the mission to increase participation of women in data science and to feature outstanding women doing outstanding work. The all-day WiDS Livermore event is free and will be presented in a hybrid format. Everyone...

Conference paper illuminates neural image compression

An enduring question in machine learning (ML) concerns performance: How do we know if a model produces reliable results? The best models have explainable logic and can withstand data perturbations, but performance analysis tools and datasets that will help researchers meaningfully evaluate these models are scarce. A team from LLNL’s Center for Applied Scientific Computing (CASC) is teasing...

For better CT images, new deep learning tool helps fill in the blanks

At a hospital, an airport, or even an assembly line, computed tomography (CT) allows us to investigate the otherwise inaccessible interiors of objects without laying a finger on them. To perform CT, x-rays first shine through an object, interacting with the different materials and structures inside. Then, the x-rays emerge on the other side, casting a projection of their interactions onto a...

Lab partners with new Space Force Lab

LLNL subject matter experts have been selected by the U.S. Space Force to help stand up its newest Tools, Applications, and Processing (TAP) laboratory dedicated to advancing military space domain awareness (SDA). The Livermore team attended the October 26 kickoff in Colorado Springs of the SDA TAP lab’s Project Apollo technology accelerator, designed with an open framework to support and...

Young leaders learn from Nobel Laureates at Science and Technology in Society Forum

Early-career staff scientists Kelli Humbird, Chris Young and Brian Giera (director of LLNL's Data Science Institute) connected with Nobel Laureates and discussed important global issues ranging from AI to climate change at the 20th annual meeting of the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum in Kyoto, Japan. Lab Director Kim Budil, Acting Chief of Staff Ashley Bahney and Strategic...