At a recent annual geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) conference, Senior Data Scientist Adam Attarian participated in a panel discussing how national laboratories are delivering science, technology, and partnerships to enhance modeling, analysis, and innovation. 

The panel, “National Labs and the GEOINT Mission,” featured Attarian, from the Applied Artificial Intelligence Systems group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), alongside representatives from the Space Mission Program at Sandia National Laboratories and the Geospatial Science and Human Security Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to discuss how national laboratory research, expertise, and specialized infrastructure translate into operational use and impact. 

“PNNL brings together exquisite datasets, deep scientific expertise, and specialized infrastructure to address some of the most challenging GEOINT problems,” said Attarian. “Our research has an enduring impact on national security because we can carry ideas from early discovery into real operational capability. This panel was a fantastic opportunity to share how the national labs continue to deliver trusted science, innovative analysis, and meaningful mission results that strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to evolving threats.” 

The GEOINT Symposium 2026 is the nation’s largest gathering of GEOINT professionals, convening representatives from across government, industry, and academia. During the panel, Attarian had the opportunity to highlight PNNL’s contributions, including recent efforts on behalf of the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission and PNNL’s investments and opportunities in AI. 

“AI is poised to revolutionize the processing of large multi-modal datasets and enable transformative data analysis that will have impacts across a range of missions,” Attarian said. 

To learn more about how PNNL is advancing AI for scientific discovery, visit the Center for AI @PNNL.