• The U.S. has formed a $1 billion partnership with AMD to build two supercomputers.
• The supercomputers will focus on nuclear fusion, cancer treatment, and national security.
• The first supercomputer, named Lux, is expected to be operational in six months.
• The second machine, Discovery, will enhance computational capabilities and is set for 2029.
• Both systems aim to accelerate scientific breakthroughs through advanced AI technologies.

The United States has entered into a $1 billion partnership with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to construct two advanced supercomputers aimed at addressing significant scientific challenges. These challenges range from nuclear fusion and cancer treatments to national security, as confirmed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and AMD CEO Lisa Su. Through this initiative, the U.S. intends to maintain sufficient supercomputing power to support increasingly complex scientific experiments that require extensive data-crunching capabilities, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Energy Secretary Wright highlighted that these supercomputers would "supercharge" advancements in nuclear power, fusion energy, and pharmaceutical development. This partnership aims to significantly accelerate scientific discovery in key areas, condensing years of research into shorter time frames by leveraging advanced computational modeling and AI technologies. Wright stated, "We're going to get just massively faster progress using the computation from these AI systems that I believe will have practical pathways to harness fusion energy in the next two or three years," according to India Times and Reuters.

The first supercomputer, designated Lux, is set to be operational within six months and will utilize AMD's MI355X AI chips, alongside central processors and networking chips designed by AMD. The second, more advanced supercomputer named Discovery will feature AMD’s MI430 series of AI chips and is expected to be operational by 2029. The Lux supercomputer is anticipated to deliver about three times the AI capacity of current systems, as reported by both Al Jazeera and India Times.

These supercomputers will not only facilitate advancements in nuclear energy and drug discovery but will also support critical national security operations by managing the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Wright expressed optimism about the potential of these systems to revolutionize cancer treatment, stating, "My hope is in the next five or eight years, we will turn most cancers, many of which today are ultimate death sentences, into manageable conditions," according to India Times and Al Jazeera.