Helion wants to make nuclear fusion-driven electricity generators a reality, but this has not been possible to date. However, OpenAI is in talks with the startup about getting electricity.
If genuine, the negotiations, as revealed by the Wall Street Journal, will pave the way for OpenAI to obtain enormous quantities of electricity, which is pivotal for operating data centers for machine-learning work.
OpenAI’s CEO has a stake of 375 million dollars in Helion and is the board of directors chairman. However, the tech giant is not playing an active role in the negotiations and has recused himself from the ongoing process.
If Helion is successful in bagging this deal, it will receive more cash, which will subsequently mean more R&D. This would be a win-win situation for both companies. OpenAI would receive massive sources of electricity, and Helion would receive the money to make its concept of nuclear fusion generators a reality.
A rumored $100 billion AI supercomputer termed Stargate could be a plausible use for all that power. The supercomputer project has the backing of OpenAI and is projected to require five gigawatts of power. The projected completion date for the supercomputer is 2028, incidentally, the same year that Microsoft, Helion’s first customer, is supposed to start getting power from the upstart.
The Microsoft deal requires around 50 MW. But Helion does not intend to stop there. They want to sell their energy supply to OpenAI, which would need lots of power if it wants to build a few more supercomputers.