Towards Limitless Power: A Primer On Nuclear Fusion

Executive Summary

Nuclear fusion is the way the sun and the stars produce energy. It can be limitless and clean and holds great promise for the future. Unlike nuclear fission which involves releasing energy by breaking down isotopes of large atoms like uranium into smaller particles, fusion involves combining the nuclei of two isotopes of hydrogen to produce helium with the release of huge amounts of energy.

Scientists around the world have been researching nuclear fusion for the last 100 years and it is only now that many of the hurdles to commercialise nuclear fusion look surmountable. Recent progress in achieving greater energy output than the energy input (net energy gain) and ability to maintain plasma for longer periods have given new hope to commercialisation.

Till recently fusion research was restricted to government laboratories and some international institutions set up by a group of countries. The advent of artificial intelligence and its tremendous energy needs have driven many private companies like Microsoft, Amazon and others to start funding private research in this space.
However, as BCIs progress, they raise concerns about potential uses for human enhancement, thus creating profound ethical challenges for the society to confront. While concerns about data privacy, personal autonomy, and user control are critical, these can largely be addressed through regulatory and legal mechanisms. This paper focuses instead on two broader philosophical questions that BCIs present—those concerning the nature of human identity and human enhancement—and offers two ethical frameworks that policymakers can use to navigate these complex issues.

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