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Off the Wire Press Releases Sept. 1, 2026 — What if the best place to learn about artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t a classroom or a conference room but a museum on a Friday night or a community library on a Saturday afternoon? That is the idea behind Argonne’s AI Roadshow, a traveling science outreach campaign from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The roadshow brings researchers out of the lab and into the places where people already gather — museums, libraries and community centers in the Chicago region. No badge required. No technical background needed. Just curiosity. Argonne is one of the nation’s leading science institutions, home to researchers pushing the boundaries of AI, robotics and computing. But discovery has limited value if it stays behind lab doors. The roadshow is Argonne’s answer to that challenge, a commitment to meet people where they are and to share science in a way that is engaging and accessible to people of all backgrounds and ages. “I am forever fascinated with how fast the kids pick up the concepts. They’re enamored,” said Argonne scientist Sarah Owens, who talked about how AI enhances research into the ecosystems of soil at an event at the Shorewood-Troy Public Library. The events are as varied as the communities they serve. Researchers explored the real science behind Star Wars droids, unraveled the secret life hiding in a handful of soil and examined how AI could ease the burden on surgical teams. Each talk is different. Each audience is different. The common thread is an understanding that AI is not a distant, abstract technology. It is already reshaping how scientists work, how doctors heal and how communities prepare for the future. That accessibility is intentional. Argonne researchers who participate in the roadshow are not simply presenting findings — they are starting conversations. They demystify AI, explaining what it is, what it is not and why it matters. Take meteorology. At “Lake Effect Science: Weather, Artificial Intelligence and the Search for a Safer Future,” held at the Chicago Maritime Museum, Argonne scientist Scott Collis and Argonne science communicator Gillian King-Cargile connected Chicago’s stormy maritime history to modern weather prediction. “I thought it was fantastic,” said attendee Andrew Torres. “I think it was a good combination of both the science of meteorology and forecasting, measurements, as well as AI, science and seeing how that can be used for good.” The AI Roadshow also reflects Argonne’s commitment to take science beyond its campus. The lab has called the southwest suburbs of Chicago home for more than 80 years. It is more than a place where science happens. It is a neighbor, a civic partner and a community institution. The roadshow is one expression of that identity — science reaching outward. “We enjoyed how the programming offered a unique perspective on AI and removed some of the negative connotations we so often see concerning AI,” said Sharon Byerly, head of technology at the Indian Prairie Public Library, which hosted an event comparing Argonne’s approach to incorporating robotics in science labs to the ideas and tools people are using in library maker spaces. “This program related to what we are doing in our library’s makerspace by adding possibilities for future applications in our studio. Every evaluation was positive, and we were asked for additional programming like the one provided in cooperation with Argonne.” Learn more about the events and speakers rocking the AI Roadshow here. About Argonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Source: ANL
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