Fusion powers the sun and stars, and has the potential to provide nearly limitless amounts of carbon-free power if someone can harness it on earth. The International Atomic Energy Agency expects electricity from fusion to be produced in the second half of the century. Helion is building a prototype that it says will demonstrate the ability to produce electricity through fusion next year. “The goal is not to make the world’s coolest technology demo,” Mr. Altman said in an interview. “The goal is to power the world and to do it extremely cheaply.” Mr. Altman, the chief executive officer of OpenAI — the artificial-intelligence startup behind the viral chatbot ChatGPT — said having a first customer is critical for keeping Helion grounded in the realities of business, including working with clients, utilities and electric-grid operators.
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