Microsoft and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, part of the US Department of Energy, have utilized artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing to discover a new material that could drastically reduce lithium usage in batteries by up to 70%. This AI-driven discovery, dubbed N2116, is a solid-state electrolyte that has been rapidly developed from a raw material to a functional prototype in less than nine months.
Jason Zander, Executive Vice President at Microsoft, conveyed to the BBC that one of the company’s key objectives is to “compress 250 years of scientific discovery into the next 25”. “And we think technology like this will help us do that. This is the way that this type of science I think is going to get done in the future,” he continued.
Zander also told the broadcaster that the AI they use is grounded in scientific materials, databases and properties, highlighting the reliability of the data for scientific discovery purposes.
Dr. Nuria Tapia-Ruiz, leading a team at Imperial College London’s chemistry department, stated that finding a material with less lithium yet strong energy storage abilities is considered the ultimate achievement in the lithium-ion battery industry.
“AI and supercomputing will become crucial tools for battery researchers in the upcoming years to help predict new high-performing materials,” she said.
However, Dr. Edward Brightman, a chemical engineering lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, noted that the technology would need further development and validation.
“It could throw up spurious results, or results that look good at first, and then turn out to either be a material that is known or that can’t be synthesized in the lab,” he said.
Karl Mueller from PNNL acknowledged that the AI insights provided by Microsoft accelerated their research into promising areas significantly quicker than traditional methods would have allowed.
“[We could] modify, test and tune the chemical composition of this new material and quickly evaluate its technical viability for a working battery, showing the promise of advanced AI to accelerate the innovation cycle,” he said.
This innovative approach to battery technology, facilitated by AI and high-performance computing, could address the growing global demand for lithium, a critical component in lithium-ion batteries. The new material, being a sustainable energy storage solution, also promises to enhance battery safety and efficiency.
