In a significant expansion of artificial intelligence applications in national security, OpenAI has formalized a partnership with U.S. National Laboratories focused on nuclear security and scientific research.
Announced by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in January 2025 at the company's "Building to Win: AI Economics" event in Washington D.C., the collaboration provides approximately 15,000 scientists across Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Laboratories with access to OpenAI's advanced o1 reasoning models. Working with Microsoft, OpenAI is deploying these powerful AI systems on Venado, the NVIDIA-powered supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The partnership specifically targets nuclear security challenges, with OpenAI supporting efforts to reduce nuclear war risks and secure nuclear materials and weapons worldwide. Jason Pruet, director of Los Alamos' National Security AI Office, emphasized the transformative potential: "With the capabilities from OpenAI on Venado, we have a chance to make contributions to the nation that seemed impossible just a few years ago."
Beyond nuclear security, the initiative encompasses multiple critical domains including enhancing power grid cybersecurity, accelerating disease treatment research, and deepening understanding of fundamental physics. OpenAI researchers with appropriate security clearances will provide consultations on AI safety and selective review of use cases.
The partnership builds on previous collaborations between OpenAI and Los Alamos, including joint research on safely applying AI models like GPT-4o in bioscientific research. It also aligns with the broader Stargate project, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative supported by President Trump's administration that positions AI development as crucial to maintaining U.S. technological leadership in competition with China.
While some observers have expressed concerns about AI's role in nuclear strategy, OpenAI has clarified that the initiative focuses on scientific research and security enhancement rather than direct military decision-making. The partnership represents a growing recognition of AI's potential to address complex national security challenges through advanced computational capabilities.