OpenAI is teaming up with Helion Energy, a leading U.S.-based firm in nuclear fusion technology, to secure a substantial energy supply for advancing artificial intelligence. The partnership aims to capitalise on the enormous potential of nuclear fusion to generate clean energy, with investments and ambitious goals towards achieving breakthroughs in AI development.
OpenAI is exploring a partnership with Helion Energy, a U.S.-based firm pioneering nuclear fusion technology, with the goal of securing a substantial energy supply to develop advanced artificial intelligence. The collaboration, first highlighted by The Wall Street Journal, aims to leverage nuclear fusion’s potential to generate enormous amounts of clean energy.
Nuclear fusion, often described as the “holy grail of clean energy,” involves mimicking reactions that occur in the Sun to produce vast amounts of energy without fossil fuels or hazardous waste. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has invested $375 million in Helion Energy and emphasized at the World Economic Forum in January that achieving AGI, which surpasses human intelligence, depends on a breakthrough in fusion energy.
While Helion Energy targets commercial-scale electricity production by 2028, this timeline is viewed skeptically by some industry experts. The company, which has raised over $600 million and secured nearly $2 billion in additional funding contingent on meeting specific milestones, plans to deploy a prototype device named Polaris later this year. Additionally, they’ve partnered with Nucor to construct a nuclear fusion reactor.
Microsoft, OpenAI’s collaborator, has already signed a purchase agreement for nuclear fusion energy, marking it as a pioneering company on this front. Helion Energy, however, has not disclosed any new customer engagements.
