Agentic AI: Crops Harvest Critical Minerals Faster

Agentic AI is accelerating the search for crops that can harvest critical minerals. This technology helps develop plants that act like living sponges, absorbing essential minerals directly from the Earth. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, researchers use an agentic artificial intelligence system to find these specialized crops. This system uses the Frontier supercomputer to train and generate output for the Orchestrated Platform for Autonomous Laboratories, or OPAL project. OPAL is part of the DOE's Genesis Mission, which aims to accelerate discovery science and drive energy innovation. OPAL partners include Oak Ridge, Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, and Pacific Northwest national laboratories. This project combines AI, robotics, and automated experimentation to speed up scientific breakthroughs. For example, researchers reduced analysis time for over 1,000 plant traits from hundreds of hours to just minutes using this AI. Growing and harvesting these plants, which can absorb minerals like nickel, cobalt, selenium, and rare earth elements, offers a low-cost way to strengthen domestic supply chains. This could benefit rural economies and national security.