The U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory has begun running OpenAI’s latest o-series reasoning models on its Venado supercomputer, marking the first time such models are being used for classified national security applications, officials announced.
Venado, the 19th-fastest supercomputer in the world, operates with NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips and moved to a classified network earlier this year. It is now a shared resource for researchers across the National Nuclear Security Administration’s three major labs: Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia.
“Artificial intelligence will be the defining technology of the 21st century, and NNSA is already examining how AI intersects with our national security mission,” said Acting Administrator Teresa Robbins. She noted the models will help optimize experiments, analyze diagnostic data, and strengthen operational capabilities.
Los Alamos Director Thom Mason said the deployment represents “an important step in ensuring that the United States maintains a competitive advantage in AI” and deepens collaboration between government and industry.
Venado, which came online in 2024, has already supported advances in materials design, DNA research, and energy resilience. Its secure deployment now allows scientists to focus directly on defense priorities, including studying plutonium aging and safeguarding against biological threats.
OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil praised the partnership, saying it will accelerate breakthroughs “that once took years” and underscored the role of public-private collaboration in advancing science.
The system’s cutting-edge hardware, including thousands of Grace Hopper Superchips, enables massive-scale AI applications while reducing energy costs. NVIDIA executive Ian Buck described Venado as “a time machine for science, and now, a forge for intelligence.”
Los Alamos plans to expand its AI capacity further, with a next-generation supercomputer dedicated to scientific research slated for 2026.
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