Fusion energy is still more future than present, but scientists are racing to harness it. We built hydrogen bombs decades ago, yet turning the same fusion of hydrogen into helium into a controlled, commercial power source has not happened yet, though a few promising prototypes exist.
Unlike today’s nuclear power plants, which use uranium, plutonium or thorium and create long-lived radioactive waste, fusion produces far less waste and mainly creates helium, which has useful applications. With electricity demand rising fast—especially to power Artificial Intelligence—fusion could offer a far more efficient source of abundant, low-carbon energy.
Researchers are stepping up efforts to build commercial-scale fusion reactors that can deliver reliable power. There is also a hopeful twist: AI is being used to speed up fusion research and design, which could help bring working reactors sooner than expected. In short, AI may help make fusion a reality faster.
