Matthew Chase Levy

Biography

Matthew Chase Levy (born 9/15/85) is an American scholar and AI entrepreneur. He is formerly Isaac Newton professor of physics at Oxford University. In 2024, Levy was appointed Honorary Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford, the youngest in history, and Levy is the current junior Don in the fellowship.

Education: Levy was born in Dallas, Texas in 1985. Levy completed his bachelor’s degree in Physics at The University of California, Los Angeles and his Masters and Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from Rice University with distinction. He also holds the Oxford M.A. by incorporation (ad eundem).

Early Career: Levy began his career at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 2008. working in the physics division of Livermore when the National Ignition Facility (NIF) was coming online, Levy made contributions in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and laboratory astrophysics. Levy was part of pioneering group that did work on NIF related to strategic defense missions through the international ACSEL Collaboration. This was part of the historical work that in 2022 would produce an ignited, burning laboratory plasma. Levy supervised work on a new nuclear radiography capability, and supported tests that were the first to demonstrate magnetic self-organization.

In 2014, Dr. Levy was invited to Oxford by The Royal Society. to be the first American Isaac Newton professor of physics. His work advanced lasers, fusion, and science-based AI which is now a field called “AI4science.” He holds foundational patents in these areas.

Entrepreneur: Levy founded one of the first AI companies, Noble AI, which later received backing from biotechnology investor Robert Nelsen, Stanford University’s Endowment, Microsoft, Chevron, Solvay, Lam, Exxon, and Henkel. In 2023, Levy founded Blue to support promising climate-positive initiatives.

Public Service: Levy has supported balanced political candidates. His political philosopher of preference is Baruch Spinoza who said, ‘the objective of the state is freedom.’ Levy is on the board of The Washington Institute, a DC think-tank which seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East, and an affiliate founder of Israel Economic Forum and Young Presidents Organization’s Mosaic Chapter . As an authority on the history of extreme energy, fusion, and AI, from 2017-2022, Levy was co-chair of the Global Young Academy’s History working group. The organization aims to be the voice of young scientists. Levy also co-organized the 2024 Stanford-SLAC Extreme Energy Workshop, bringing together policy experts and subject matter experts.

In 2024, Levy was invited to present the keynote at the University of Wisconsin’s Public Utilities Law convention. He was interviewed by The New York Times in May 2024. He sparked a virtual trend in 2023 by originating the idea in a TV interview at the New York Stock Exchange that fusion could be used to power AI data centers. His views on fusion policy support building a fusion power plant in every city and state around the world, producing clean energy and high quality jobs.

Awards