The story

On September 14, 2026, during the Global Fusion Summit in London, the UK and US governments signed two agreements to accelerate AI and advanced computing applications in fusion research. The centerpiece is a supercomputing partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority and the US Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The first agreement establishes a formal framework for collaboration on high-performance computing and AI as applied to fusion science, while the second is a joint regulatory statement to align licensing frameworks for fusion energy.

The UK government is projecting over 10,000 new jobs in the country's fusion sector by 2030. These agreements build on the 2025 Technology Prosperity Deal between the UK and US, which identified AI, civil nuclear, and fusion technologies as strategic priorities for bilateral collaboration. Meanwhile, debate continues over fusion's viability. Professor Sven Linow of the Scientific Climate Advisory Board of the Hessian state government expressed skepticism, saying no one has yet demonstrated that it really works.