AMD and the US Department of Energy have announced two new high-performance computing systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory aimed at advancing America’s artificial intelligence and science infrastructure.
Two Systems to Lead US AI Research
The two systems, named Lux AI and Discovery, will be deployed over the next several years, with the stated goal of positioning the United States at the forefront of artificial intelligence-enabled scientific research and national security.
Both systems are part of a $1 billion joint investment between private and public sectors, intended to bolster the US’s ability to provide secure, federated, standards-based resources for AI research and development.
Lux AI: The Nation’s First AI Factory
The Lux AI supercomputer is a collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), AMD, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. It will be powered by:
- 355X GPUs – Advanced graphics processing units for AI workloads
- AMD EPYC CPUs – High-performance central processors
- AMD Pensando networking technologies – Optimized data transfer infrastructure
Deployment is scheduled within the next six months, aiming to complement and expand the Department of Energy’s AI research capabilities.
Lux is described as the nation’s first dedicated AI Factory for scientific, energy, and national security research. It is purpose-built to train, fine-tune, and deploy AI foundation models, accelerating discovery in areas such as:
- Energy research
- Materials science
- Medicine
- Advanced manufacturing
- National security and biosecurity
The system architecture is optimized for high-throughput, data-intensive workloads, designed to give the United States a decisive advantage as larger, more complex AI models are developed and deployed.
Discovery: Scaling for the Future
The Discovery supercomputer, planned for deployment at ORNL in 2028 with user operations expected in 2029, builds on the existing Frontier system. It will feature:
- Next-generation AMD Instinct MI430X GPUs – Latest AI acceleration hardware
- AMD EPYC CPUs codenamed “Venice” – Upcoming processor architecture
- High memory capacity and network bandwidth – Exceeding previous exascale machines
Discovery is designed to shore up ties among the DOE, ORNL, HPE, and AMD, accelerating work on the American AI stack and giving national researchers access to advanced processing power and secure infrastructure.
The system targets significant breakthroughs in domains such as advanced materials, battery technology, critical materials, and manufacturing innovation. Once operational, Discovery will become a key system supporting US AI technology infrastructure for the following decade.
Industry Leaders Respond
Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of AMD, stated: “We are proud and honored to partner with the Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to accelerate America’s foundation for science and innovation. Discovery and Lux will leverage AMD’s high-performance and AI computing technologies to advance the most critical U.S. research priorities in science, energy, and medicine – demonstrating the power of public-private partnership at their best.”
United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright emphasized the new approach to public-private partnerships: “Winning the AI race requires new and creative partnerships that will bring together the brightest minds and industries American technology and science has to offer. That’s why the Trump administration is announcing the first example of a new commonsense approach to computing partnerships with Lux.”
Stephen Streiffer, Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, commented: “The Discovery system will drive scientific innovation faster and farther than ever before. With Discovery, the integration of high-performance computing and AI promises breakthroughs at the accelerated speed and scale necessary for continued U.S. leadership in an increasingly competitive global environment.”
Antonio Neri, President and CEO at HPE, added: “We are proud that the partnership between HPE and AMD is at the forefront of advancing the next generation of supercomputing in the AI era for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This collaboration also reinforces American leadership in applying AI to science, energy and national security.”
Mahesh Thiagarajan, Executive Vice President at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, noted: “Oracle is honored to work alongside the Department of Energy to help drive breakthroughs in science, energy, and national security. Oracle will deliver sovereign, high-performance AI infrastructure that will support the co-development of the Lux AI cluster.”
Strategic Importance for US Technology Leadership
The development and deployment of both systems represent a public and private commitment to reinforce the US’s position in AI and scientific innovation globally, with a focus on open standards and sovereignty over AI capabilities and data.
Discovery’s consistent programming environment aims to simplify the transition for applications developed for previous systems, ensuring continuity while delivering increased performance and energy efficiency.
These initiatives demonstrate how strategic partnerships between government and industry can accelerate technological advancement while maintaining national security priorities and supporting breakthrough scientific research.
