The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly advance the development of safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI).

“This memorandum provides further direction on appropriately harnessing AI models and AI-enabled technologies in the United States Government, especially in the context of national security systems (NSS), while protecting human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, and safety in AI-enabled national security activities,” the White House said in a briefing.

Moreover, a classified annex to this memorandum covers additional sensitive national security matters, including strategies for countering the adversarial use of AI that threatens U.S. national security.

The DOE is also exploring whether AI can accelerate clean energy production, nextgov reported last month. With an investment of nearly $20 million, the department is developing and testing AI-driven tools aimed at expediting lengthy permitting processes.

These tools are designed to help government employees access and analyze historical permitting and environmental data as part of a three-year initiative called VoltAIc. The goal is for AI to enhance decision-making and speed up the construction of clean energy infrastructure.