{"692828":{"#nid":"692828","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GT Cybersecurity Expert Helping to Chart the Future of AI on the Energy Grid","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly vital to the nation\u2019s power grid. However, AI tools meant to help energy companies manage the grid, plan for future needs, and respond to problems also create new security and safety concerns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaman\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EZonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, is helping address those concerns as a member of a planning committee for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\u0022\u003ENational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince May 2026, Zonouz has served on the planning committee for an upcoming public workshop on integrating AI into the electricity system. The workshop is scheduled for Oct. 26 and will convene experts to discuss how to safely and reliably use AI across the power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop will explore how AI is used today, the challenges of integrating AI into existing power systems, and how people and AI can work together. The event will also examine relationships between AI and cybersecurity, data centers, workforce development, and future research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Zonouz, cybersecurity and resilience are key parts of the conversation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is both a shield and a target for the grid,\u201d Zonouz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZonouz leads Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Systems Security Research Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. The lab\u2019s research, much of it funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, investigates how AI can protect power systems from cyberattacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne recent initiative combines AI with detailed knowledge about power system operations to detect attacks in near real time. Another project sought to identify security weaknesses in solar inverters and other devices that connect energy sources, such as solar panels, to the power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERegardless of the challenge, Zonouz and his lab work to identify and fix these weaknesses before attackers can exploit them. Despite their best efforts, however, Zonouz said that some AI tools meant to secure a system can create new ways for attackers to target a power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab has demonstrated in several studies that AI systems can be tricked by false or manipulated data. Attackers can also target the software and systems that AI depends on. As AI becomes more advanced, some systems may even be able to modify grid operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis raises an important question: What happens if an AI system fails or is attacked?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat is why the right frame is resilience,\u201d Zonouz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Zonouz, the goal is not to create an AI system that can never fail or be attacked. It\u2019s to build a trustworthy power grid that can continue operating safely even if an AI system fails or is compromised.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZonouz will bring his perspective to the National Academies workshop. In addition to helping organize the event, he will lead a session on cybersecurity and resilience. He will also help summarize the workshop\u2019s key takeaways during the closing session. The workshop will be held \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/events.nationalacademies.org\/47042\u0022\u003Evirtually\u003C\/a\u003E in late October. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLessons learned from the electricity grid can be applied to other critical infrastructure as AI monitoring and control tools continue to advance and become more common,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher Saman Zonouz is helping shape resilient AI practices for the electricity grid. His work connects workshop planning with research on AI-enabled grid protection and emerging vulnerabilities. Zonouz\u2019s laboratory develops near-real-time attack detection and investigates weaknesses in solar inverters and other grid-connected devices. \u2022 Research shows AI systems can be misled by manipulated data or compromised software, making resilience essential when systems fail or face attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researcher Saman Zonouz is helping shape resilient AI practices for the electricity grid. His work connects workshop planning with research on AI-enabled grid protection and emerging vulnerabilities."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-09-25 13:50:08","changed_gmt":"2026-09-25 13:54:25","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673306":{"id":"673306","type":"image","title":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","body":null,"created":"1709660104","gmt_created":"2024-03-05 17:35:04","changed":"1709660054","gmt_changed":"2024-03-05 17:34:14","alt":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","file":{"fid":"256679","name":"Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56998,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg?itok=qOSZDIrt"}}},"media_ids":["673306"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}