Locai Labs Ltd, a leading UK artificial intelligence (AI) company, and Oxford-based inertial fusion energy company First Light Fusion have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to investigate and identify viable use cases for the application of Locai’s AI model for use in high energy density physics and inertial fusion energy research.
The MOU establishes a framework for the two companies to conduct technical feasibility studies and define the scope for a potential long-term collaboration. A joint working group has been formed to oversee the initial phases of the collaboration.
The research will focus on using Locai’s models to enhance and streamline technical workflows, including code development and the investigation of agentic AI systems to boost machine learning simulation productivity. All AI processing will be conducted on First Light Fusion’s secure, air-gapped high-performance computing infrastructure in Oxford, ensuring full control over sensitive data and research environments.
This collaboration aims to increase the speed of scientific progress at First Light Fusion to accelerate progress toward viable fusion power. The trial will also evaluate the platform’s ability to improve productivity in areas such as document management, internal communications, and administrative support, showcasing the productivity potential of UK AI in high-tech industrial settings.
“This collaboration is a powerful example of how UK-developed foundational AI can be applied to accelerate UK scientific research and industrialisation,” said James Drayson, CEO of Locai Labs. “By combining Locai’s sustainable, British-built AI with First Light’s cutting-edge fusion research, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the clean energy future.”
According to First Light Fusion CEO Mark Thomas, the company has a strong pedigree in machine learning for solution optimisation, developed over many years and applied to complex problems. “Harnessing the power of AI is essential as we scale our fusion programme, deepening our understanding of the underlying physics and accelerating the pace at which we test ideas, refine hypotheses, and move from insight to implementation. We are excited to explore this collaboration with Locai Labs, a fellow UK innovator, through a controlled trial of its AI assistant in part of our operations,” he said.
London-based Locai Labs has developed a proprietary Large Language Model post-training methodology, Forget-Me-Not, which it has used to create Locai-L1-Large, the UK’s first foundational large language model, trained using 100% renewable energy.
First Light Fusion was founded in 2011 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford. It has developed proprietary technologies in pressure and velocity amplification technology, machine learning simulation codes (the most advanced in the global fusion sector), and experimental infrastructure. This includes Europe’s largest pulsed power facility and the UK’s largest two-stage gas gun – multi-use platforms applicable to both fusion and broader high-energy physics research.
