Future of Energy Forum panel: How AI could expand energy access
Artificial intelligence is driving an enormous increase in energy demand. But two Tulane University researchers say the technology could also help scientists discover materials capable of optimizing the electrical grid and increasing energy access for those who currently live without it.
That apparent paradox was at the center of a discussion at the third annual Tulane Future of Energy Forum, where Tulane physicist Jianwei Sun and chemist Daniel Straus joined Microsoft energy executive Darryl Willis to explore how AI can supercharge the race to develop new superconductors.
“AI will absolutely accelerate the pace of discovery and science development,” said Sun, professor of physics and engineering physics at Tulane University School of Science and Engineering.
Sun and Straus are part of a Tulane-led team selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission. The team’s goal is to develop an AI-driven approach to discovering new superconductors — materials that can carry electrical current without resistance and therefore without losing energy as heat.