(l) Michael Naus and Jean-François Croteau adjust the experimental setup for the AI Genesis Mission project. (Robinson Kuntz/Berkeley Lab)
Fusion, the process that powers our Sun, could provide clean, abundant electricity. Future magnetic fusion plants will need powerful magnets made from a special tape capable of carrying huge electrical currents. This superconducting tape is difficult and costly to produce consistently. The project builds an artificial intelligence system that learns how manufacturing conditions shape the tape’s quality. Berkeley Lab will convert electron diffraction measurements taken on the production line into meaningful quality metrics, enabling performance prediction and early problem detection rather than discovery during post-manufacturing testing. This will help American producers make better tape more cheaply and reliably.
