Google is Bringing AI and Fusion Together

Metaverse Planet October 18, 2025Last Updated: October 18, 2025

2 minutes read

Google’s artificial intelligence unit DeepMind is collaborating with Commonwealth Fusion Systems to control nuclear fusion reactors with AI and maximize energy efficiency.

Google’s artificial intelligence research unit, DeepMind, is preparing to entrust the control of fusion reactors to artificial intelligence through a collaboration with the nuclear fusion startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). The system developed under the partnership will simulate the behavior of the plasma inside the reactor and determine the most efficient ways for energy production.

This work, which has the potential to revolutionize the energy sector, will be implemented in a fusion reactor called Sparc, which CFS is developing. DeepMind will use a special software called Torax to simulate the plasma inside the reactor. This software will then be combined with reinforcement learning and evolutionary search models to identify the most efficient parameters for the reactor to achieve net energy production.

The goal of fusion reactors is to mimic the process in stars here on Earth. Unlike fission, fusion produces energy output by combining light atoms. Google and other technology giants are turning to fusion initiatives to power their energy-intensive data centers. On the other hand, this is not Google’s first step in the field of nuclear fusion. The company previously worked with another fusion startup, TAE Technologies, conducting AI-based analyses to understand plasma behavior.

The Age of Artificial Intelligence in Plasma

The biggest challenge in fusion technology is keeping the plasma at a high temperature for a long enough time, as in the stars. On the Sun, the massive mass and gravity that provide this balance are replaced by strong magnetic fields in reactors on Earth. However, since these magnetic fields are not perfect, the plasma constantly tends to disperse and lose its energy. Therefore, reactors need control software that can instantly react to the ever-changing conditions of the plasma. This is where artificial intelligence comes in. In CFS’s reactors, there are too many variables for human operators to manage manually. DeepMind’s algorithms, however, can solve these complex equations instantly and ensure the reactor runs stably. Experts state that artificial intelligence plays a key role in the rapid advancements in fusion research in recent years.

CFS has completed 66% of the Sparc reactor it is building near Boston. The company believes the reactor, planned for completion at the end of 2026, will be the first in history to demonstrate the success of net energy production, exceeding its own energy consumption.

Google, along with DeepMind’s Torax system, is also exploring the direct AI-supported control of the fusion reactor. The company, along with Nvidia, participated in CFS’s $863 million Series B2 investment round in August. Additionally, Google has agreed to purchase 200 megawatts of electricity from CFS’s first commercial power plant.