US DoE and AMD Launch $1B AI Supercomputing Initiative to Accelerate Nuclear, Fusion, and Quantum Research

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has partnered with AMD to build two of the world’s fastest AI supercomputers, aimed at advancing nuclear power, fusion energy, and quantum technologies.

On October 27, AMD and the U.S. DOE announced two next-generation systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) designed to expand America’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), the Lux AI supercomputer and the Discovery supercomputer.

• Strategic Partnership Overview
  • Investment: $1 billion collaboration between the U.S. DOE and AMD
  • Purpose: Construct two cutting-edge AI supercomputers for scientific and national security challenges
  • Partners: AMD (hardware), Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Oracle (infrastructure and software)
• Scientific and Technological Focus
  • Nuclear & Fusion: Accelerate simulations for next-gen reactors and fusion containment
  • Quantum Tech: Support quantum algorithm development and hybrid computing experiments
  • Medical Breakthroughs: Drug discovery and cancer modeling using massive datasets
  • National Security: Defense simulations, threat detection, and strategic planning
• AI Capabilities
  • Performance: Among the fastest AI systems globally, real-time data processing
  • Use Cases: Scientific discovery, energy dominance, and national security operations
• Geopolitical Implications
  • Reinforces U.S. leadership in AI and high-performance computing
  • Supports President Trump’s push to repatriate advanced tech infrastructure

Lux and Discovery are two next-generation AI supercomputers being developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), with deployment planned for 2026 and 2028 respectively. Lux will serve as the nation’s first AI Factory for science, while Discovery will be a second-generation exascale system designed to unify AI and high-performance computing.

• Lux AI Supercomputer (Deployment: Early 2026)

• • Purpose: First U.S. AI Factory supercomputer for science, energy, and national security
  • Architecture: AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs, AMD EPYC CPUs, AMD Pensando networking
  • Platform: Multi-tenant, cloud-like system for flexible AI training and inference
  • Use Cases: Fusion energy, quantum computing, cancer research, cybersecurity
  • Partners: ORNL, AMD, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, HPE

• Discovery Supercomputer (Deployment: 2028)

• • Purpose: Second-generation exascale successor to ORNL’s Frontier system
  • Architecture: HPE Cray Supercomputing GX5000 and K3000 storage systems
  • Performance: Up to 10X productivity boost over current systems
  • Use Cases: Precision medicine, nuclear energy, aerospace, climate modeling
  • Strategic Role: Supports secure, federated AI infrastructure and sovereign AI leadership
• Combined Impact
  • Investment: $1 billion joint public-private funding
  • Strategy: Aligned with U.S. AI Action Plan for scientific and competitive leadership
  • Location: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Tennessee