Retrospective coverage for October 15, 2026. First published October 26, 2026 06:07 -07:00 (Pacific time). This is an AI-assisted brief compiled from linked public source records; the coverage date is not the publication date.
UC San Diego researchers will help build artificial-intelligence tools for a Department of Energy-backed effort to identify and develop geothermal resources, the university announced Oct. 15. The UC Irvine-led project, MAESTRO, combines expertise from universities, national laboratories and industry. University announcement
Computer science assistant professor Lianhui Qin will lead an AI framework designed to write code, coordinate specialized agents and run physics-based simulations. Ilkay Altintas of the San Diego Supercomputer Center will direct data management and the project’s AI-service ecosystem.
The research addresses a difficult prospecting problem: underground rock conditions, fractures and other properties are not always directly observable. The team plans to combine measurements with simulations to assess potential geothermal sites.
Another goal is improving understanding and control of earthquakes induced by subsurface activity. The university described verification safeguards intended to keep AI recommendations consistent with physics.
MAESTRO’s planned outputs include open-source resources and a free browser-based tool for exploring geothermal potential and risk. Those tools were described as development goals, not finished products.