Computing the Quantum Path to Commercial Fusion, Computing Paths to Commercial Fusion: How High-Performance Computing Modes Shape Commercialization and Social License -- ANS / Conferences / 2026 ANS Annual Conference / Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE 2026)

As the technology horizon rapidly evolves, new frontiers for high performance computing (HPC) are emerging: artificial intelligence, quantum computing and hybrid methods. This emerging sector can add options in how we model, optimize and deploy advanced energy systems such as fusion. HPC has proven to be a critical enabler of fusion commercialization. Yet “HPC” is often discussed as a single capability, obscuring the very different computational modes that support distinct stages of fusion development—from plasma physics and materials science to engineering design, plant operations, and grid integration. The success of these systems requires managing expectations and clearly defining capabilities. It will also require a significant build out of compute capacity. This panel explores how different modes of high-performance computing—including leadership-class supercomputing, cloud-based AI, and quantum computing—each play unique and complementary roles in advancing fusion toward commercial deployment. Panelists will examine how these computing approaches align with specific technical challenges such as plasma stability, component lifetime prediction, tritium management, systems integration, and cost optimization. Beyond technical progress, the session will address why these distinctions matter for social license and why decision makers will require a deeper understanding of the hardware-software stack. Regulatory confidence, investor clarity, and public trust are increasingly shaped by how well fusion developers can explain risk, uncertainty, and decision-making. Different HPC modes enable different levels of validation, explainability, and operational assurance—factors that directly influence perceptions of safety, reliability, and readiness. By connecting computational architectures to both technical credibility and societal confidence, this panel will offer participants a clearer framework for explaining how quantum computing and artificial intelligence can advance fusion development decisions. The discussion will be especially relevant for researchers, technology developers, policymakers, and financiers seeking to align advanced computing strategies with commercialization pathways that are both technically sound and publicly legitimate.