OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Funds Nuclear Fusion Plant, Eyes Energy Breakthrough

A power firm led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to build its first power plant. The facility could be the first fusion machine to demonstrate power production with the technology.

Nuclear Fusion Power Plant, Financed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Is Being Built

According to The Independent, Helion Energy is one of the firms attempting to use nuclear fusion energy. That technology has the potential to alter energy production in the future, but no one has yet demonstrated a version that produces more energy than it uses.

Helion Energy's forthcoming Polaris machine will be one of many attempts to overcome this and generate energy using fusion.

Helion describes Polaris as "the next big step in commercial fusion development. "If successful, Polaris will be the first fusion machine to demonstrate electricity production from fusion," according to the report.

Sam Altman, a significant investor in the company, has now revealed an image of the facility where Polaris will be produced. Microsoft revealed last year that it had signed the world's first purchase deal with Helion Energy, predicting that it will be accessible by 2028.

"This collaboration represents a significant milestone for Helion and the fusion industy as a whole," Helion chief executive David Kirtley stated. "We still have a lot of work to do, but we are confident in our ability to deliver the world's first fusion power facility."

Microsoft collaborated closely with Sam Altman's other startup, OpenAI. The two companies have a multibillion-dollar agreement, with OpenAI's artificial intelligence tools being integrated into Bing search, for example.

Sam Altman's Worldcoin Investigated for Privacy Breach in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner's Office (PCPD) has initiated an investigation into Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project founded by Sam Altman, who is also the CEO of OpenAI, ChatGPT's parent business. According to the Hong Kong Economic Times (via U Today), the investigation, which is being conducted under a court warrant, is focused on potential major personal data privacy issues related to the Worldcoin project, as well as potential violations of the Privacy Ordinance.

Worldcoin, which launched in Hong Kong last year, provides users with 25 digital money WLD after completing iris recognition and registration. The project intends to use blockchain technology to create a digital identification and monetary entity system. The key components are global identity (World ID), world currency (WorldCoin), and an electronic wallet (WorldAPP) that connects identity recognition and currency.

Despite its popularity and association with well-known industry figures such as Sam Altman, worries about privacy violations have spurred the privacy commissioner to initiate action against Worldcoin. On Wednesday, the PCPD conducted extensive inspections at six locations in Yau Ma Tei, Kwun Tong, Wan Chai, Cyberport, Central, and Causeway Bay.

The Privacy Commissioner's Office claims that Worldcoin's operations in Hong Kong significantly threaten personal data privacy. The organization's gathering and processing of sensitive personal data may violate the Privacy Ordinance. The PCPD launched the investigation following established protocols, taking proactive steps to protect public privacy.

Under the Privacy Ordinance, the privacy commissioner used court warrants to access the specified premises and compel relevant parties to provide the documents and information necessary for the inquiry. Chung Liling, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, has encouraged the public to exercise caution with the Worldcoin project.

Simultaneously, the value of Worldcoin's utility token, WLD, has dropped significantly. WLD is currently trading at $2.33, a 12.94% decline over the previous 24 hours. The investigation's impact on the token's value raises more worries about the project's future and the potential consequences for both investors and users.

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