Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) recently welcomed the Venado supercomputer, a powerful new asset poised to reshape the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing in scientific research and national security. Commissioned in April 2024, Venado epitomizes a major leap forward, delivering computational capabilities that not only eclipse previous systems in raw power but also demonstrate marked advances in versatility and energy efficiency. This capacity enables LANL to accelerate progress in areas critical to its mission, from materials science to biology and national defense analytics.
At the heart of Venado’s significance lies a collaboration bringing together the strengths of LANL, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and NVIDIA. The result is a supercomputer grounded in NVIDIA’s cutting-edge Grace Hopper Superchip architecture, making Venado the first large-scale U.S. supercomputer to adopt this design. This architecture allows Venado to achieve an impressive peak AI performance on the order of ten exaFLOPS—a quantum jump in capability that opens vastly expanded computational horizons. With such massive throughput and low-latency execution, the supercomputer is engineered to meet the demanding needs of AI-driven scientific workflows, particularly those requiring processing of enormous datasets and intricate modeling.
One of Venado’s earliest achievements spotlights its pivotal role in materials science, where AI models simulate complex fracture behaviors in mission-critical substances like PBX explosives, tungsten, steel, shale, and aluminum. Under the leadership of Dan O’Malley, researchers have exploited the supercomputer’s ability to handle models with up to three billion parameters. This level of simulation granularity offers nuanced insights into fracture dynamics applicable across diverse material types. Such detailed modeling not only deepens fundamental scientific understanding but also holds direct implications for national security — ensuring resilience and safety where materials may encounter extreme operational conditions.
Beyond materials science, Venado’s immense computing power extends into theoretical biology, advancing research into DNA breathing dynamics. This phenomenon, involving transient openings in the DNA double helix, is crucial for biological function and drug targeting. Building on foundational research by LANL scientists Boian Alexandrov, Kim Rasmussen, and former Science, Technology, and Engineering leader Alan Bishop, the supercomputer enables simulations at temporal and spatial scales previously unreachable. These insights reveal biophysical mechanisms fundamental to understanding cellular processes, with the potential to guide development of innovative medical therapies and biotechnologies that could transform healthcare.
Venado’s impact also resonates deeply within national security domains, fueled by a strategic partnership with OpenAI. This alliance deploys advanced large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s o1 model, directly on Venado’s infrastructure, enhancing LANL’s analytical capabilities in nuclear security, threat assessment, and defense research. As Jason Pruet, director of LANL’s National Security AI Office, emphasizes, integrating these AI models ushers in a transformative era for applying AI-powered scientific progress to real-world government missions. By leveraging this cutting-edge AI infrastructure, LANL solidifies its leadership role while equipping the nation with powerful computational tools vital for safeguarding security interests.
Another defining feature of Venado is its emphasis on energy efficiency—a critical component in next-generation supercomputing. NVIDIA’s Grace Hopper Superchip technology brings together high-performance CPUs and specialized GPUs optimized for AI. This architectural synergy not only delivers tremendous speed but also reduces energy consumption substantially compared to traditional systems at similar performance levels. Such efficiency is increasingly important as facilities push toward higher exaflop thresholds, where power demands can escalate rapidly. Venado embodies a balanced engineering philosophy, marrying raw computational capacity with sustainability to support future scientific exploration without prohibitive power costs.
Together, these elements mark Venado as a cornerstone that redefines AI-enabled science at LANL. It elevates capabilities in materials research by simulating multi-billion parameter models that capture complex physical phenomena. It opens new frontiers in biology, translating raw computational muscle into refined understanding of DNA behavior that could inform medicine. And it enhances national security by embedding advanced AI reasoning within vital defense analytics. Supported by the combined expertise of LANL scientists and innovation partners HPE and NVIDIA, Venado drives scientific discovery with unprecedented speed and scale.
As Venado continues to evolve and extend its applications, it firmly secures LANL’s position at the cutting edge of AI-driven innovation. This supercomputer stands not just as a machine of immense power but as a versatile platform amplifying human insight across critical domains. The promise it holds for breakthroughs in science and security signals a new chapter in computational research—one where AI and high-performance computing converge to tackle the most challenging and consequential problems facing the nation and world.
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