Welcome to "AI or Not," the podcast where we explore the intersection of digital transformation and real-world wisdom, hosted by the accomplished Pamela Isom. With over 25 years of experience guiding leaders in corporate, public, and private sectors, Pamela, the CEO and Founder of IsAdvice & Consulting LLC, is a veteran in successfully navigating the complex realms of artificial intelligence, innovation, cyber issues, governance, data management, and ethical decision-making.
Breakthroughs don’t happen by accident—they happen when curiosity meets clarity and purpose. Pamela Isom sits down with Dr. Kim Budil, Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, to explore how a physics mindset, public service, and bold partnerships are accelerating discovery in nuclear deterrence, AI, and fusion energy.
Kim shares how she moved from tabletop lasers to leading one of the nation’s most consequential labs, and why her job blends infrastructure, people, strategy, and outreach. We get practical about translating complex science into plain language, then dive into the lab’s core mission: ensuring a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear stockpile without testing. From there, we connect the dots to broader national security work in hypersonics, cyber, space, and biosecurity—where modeling, extreme materials, and systems engineering carry the load.
The conversation zeroes in on Genesis, the Department of Energy’s initiative to double research productivity with AI. Kim explains how curated datasets, El Capitan’s 45,000 GPUs, and tight links to private AI labs can help models “speak science and engineering.” We unpack lighthouse challenges like stabilizing fusion plasmas, optimizing inertial targets, designing radiation-tolerant materials, and using AI for closed-loop additive manufacturing. On fusion, she charts the rise from the historic gain over one to shots exceeding eight megajoules, and outlines what’s needed for commercialization: durable materials, tritium breeding, 24/7 operations, and efficiency leaps—best pursued through multi-party public–private partnerships.
Kim is candid about AGI, the limits of scale, and why human creativity still matters. She also makes a compelling case for inclusion and excellence in hiring across every role that powers big science. The takeaway is a call to become science-literate and steward powerful tools responsibly as AI, quantum, and fusion converge to reshape daily life.
If this conversation expanded your view of how science advances, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review with your biggest insight or question.
