Helium: the invisible gas that powers AI, and why it’s in short supply – podcast
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 4:00 AM · By Presented by Ian Sample, with Madeleine Finlay, produced by Madeleine Finlay, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer was Ellie Bury
Alongside the oil and gas stranded in the strait of Hormuz is another commodity vital to today’s economy: helium. It is a critical element in all kinds of areas from MRI machines to the Large Hadron Collider, and even deep-sea diving. It is also integral to the AI boom. And this isn’t the first time its fragile global supply chain has been threatened. So why is helium so useful, and what will happen if the shortage continues? Ian Sample hears from co-host Madeleine Finlay, and from Sophia Hayes…