On Thursday, the United States and the United Kingdom entered into a memorandum of understanding aimed at collaboratively advancing artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, telecommunications, and quantum computing. These technologies are intended for diverse applications, including space exploration, military defense, targeted biomedical therapies, and medical interventions.
The MOU, which lacks legal enforcement and does not modify any current agreements between the nations, suggests collaborative research efforts among various governmental departments and agencies to explore these nascent technologies.
The memorandum outlines the creation of a task force to advance quantum computing hardware, software, algorithms, and interoperability standards.
Interest in quantum computing has surged within the crypto community, as powerful quantum machines could potentially undermine modern encryption methodologies that are essential for cryptocurrency.
Additionally, the US and UK will examine the development of 6G mobile telecommunications networks as part of their technology research and development strategy.
During a press briefing with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Trump highlighted the potential of this cooperation to stimulate significant investment across various industries. He stated:
“This trip has galvanized $350 billion in deals across many sectors, and we are committed to ensuring that the UK is a secure and reliable supply of the best AI hardware and software on Earth, and that we supply it.”
Trump noted that $17 trillion was invested in the US over the past year as the nation aims to take the lead in artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and high-performance computing capabilities.
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Advancing nuclear fusion as the next frontier of nuclear power
“The world is on the brink of a new golden nuclear era,” proclaimed the White House’s announcement on Thursday.
The two nations will join forces to develop and implement “advanced” nuclear energy facilities, including nuclear fusion reactors, reducing dependence on foreign energy sources and bolstering the energy supply chain.
Nuclear fusion is fundamentally different from nuclear fission, the latter being the splitting of atoms which was first utilized in the 1940s for atomic weaponry.
This process combines atoms to release energy and is considerably more secure than nuclear fission, with fusion reactors primarily emitting less radiation and eliminating the severe risk of catastrophic meltdowns associated with conventional fission reactors.
Advanced nuclear technology is capable of producing greater energy outputs, vital for the energy-intensive demands of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
However, this abundant energy might interfere with proof-of-work (PoW) mining systems often employed to ensure security in certain cryptocurrencies.
Should energy become exceedingly plentiful and cost-effective, the barriers upheld by proof-of-work could diminish, potentially allowing harmful entities to disrupt PoW systems via spam transactions and 51% exploitation.
Looking ahead in the collaborative initiative
The US and UK will create an “Executive Branch-level Working Group” within the next six months to initiate collaborative research and development discussions in annual meetings.
Nonetheless, the White House clarified that the MOU does not impose any legally binding responsibilities, nor are either country required to allocate funding for these initiatives or modify existing contracts.
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