One of Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) biggest promises is the faster development of new scientific discoveries. This is no longer merely a promise: it is already happening.
Microsoft launched Azure Quantum Elements in June 2023 to “accelerate scientific discovery with the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” combined with high-performance computing (HPC), and its initial results are now becoming apparent.
“Showing what can be developed with AI is not the same as proving that this technology can identify something new.”
Dr Nathan Baker, Product Lead, Azure Quantum Elements, Microsoft
AI accelerates battery-material research
Microsoft chose to apply the technology to the research and development of new battery chemicals, particularly for solid-state batteries, and early findings are encouraging.
First steps
The Azure Quantum team “joined forces” with the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), presenting their first findings in August 2023.
Following several months of work and the assessment of 32 million materials that could potentially be used in battery production, the artificial intelligence system determined that more than 500,000 were “stable”. The first stage had been completed.
The 500,000 materials were then narrowed down to a single candidate, based on several factors and functional properties required to manufacture a solid-state battery. Find out more about this type of battery:
After characterising the selected material’s structure, measuring its connectivity and testing it at different temperatures, the team assessed its technical viability using an experimental battery.
New solid-state battery
After nine months of research, PNNL identified a material - one that does not occur naturally - which uses 70% less lithium than current batteries, partly addressing the shortage of this raw material. Although much work remains, AI made it possible to “reduce this research process from years to weeks and from weeks to days”.
Work that previously demanded lengthy high-performance computing (HPC) calculations and costly, time-consuming laboratory research was, with AI, completed in just nine months.
“PNNL has demonstrated that the potential of new HPC and AI approaches significantly accelerates the innovation cycle.”
Dr Nathan Baker, Product Lead, Azure Quantum Elements, Microsoft
Less lithium, more sodium
As well as helping to process millions of material tests, AI enabled the discovery of a material that uses less lithium by replacing it with sodium.
This newly discovered combination of materials addresses some of the main drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries - safety and scarcity - while also promising greater energy density.
In other words, it represents a new battery chemistry that is cheaper, more sustainable and has higher energy density.
“By using less lithium, this battery will have less impact on the planet, be safer and, at the same time, bring greater economic benefits.”
Dr Nathan Baker, Product Lead, Azure Quantum Elements, Microsoft
However, this is only the beginning of a development process that AI could help shorten.
Either way, there is still a long way to go before this new battery chemistry is used in our cars, computers, smartphones and other devices that need an internal energy-storage source.
Source: Microsoft
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