AI in Energy Science – Forward in Energy Forum
The forum brings together UW–Madison researchers to explore how artificial intelligence is accelerating energy research, scientific discovery and the analysis of large data sets.
What You’ll Learn:
How artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used to accelerate energy research, analyze complex data, automate experiments and improve scientific modeling. Examples include bioenergy and bioproduct development, advanced materials, batteries, fuel cells and nuclear-energy systems. The forum will also examine how academic uses of AI differ from personal and commercial applications.
Why This Matters:
AI is becoming more than an information tool—it is increasingly becoming a scientific discovery tool. Applied responsibly, it could help researchers identify new materials, optimize energy technologies, accelerate experimentation and uncover solutions that would otherwise take much longer to discover.
DISCOVER
Primary purpose: Discover how AI is changing energy science and where it could accelerate the development of cleaner, safer and more efficient energy systems.
There is also a strong LEARN component for researchers and professionals interested in understanding emerging applications of AI in scientific work.
What You’ll Leave With:
A clearer picture of where AI is already being applied in energy research, what new capabilities it is creating, and where opportunities and limitations may emerge as AI becomes more deeply integrated into scientific discovery.
Best For:
Researchers · Technology Professionals · Systems Designers · Educators · Students · Social Entrepreneurs · Businesses · Investors / Funders · Policymakers · Journalists / Media
Also relevant for NGOs / Civil Society and the General Public interested in the intersection of AI, science and the clean-energy transition.
Systems It Connects To:
Artificial Intelligence · Clean & Renewable Energy · ICT & Cybersecurity · Energy Storage · Advanced Materials · Nuclear Energy · Bioenergy · Circularity & Whole-System Design · Research & Innovation · Public Policy & Governance
Mobilized connection:
This event demonstrates how one rapidly advancing system—artificial intelligence—can become an enabling technology across many other systems. AI can connect data, materials science, biology, nuclear engineering and energy research, helping scientists move more quickly from complexity → insight → discovery → potentially deployable solutions.