[seoaeu]

That’s assuming they ever even make it to net positive energy output. The article carefully avoids mentioning that the lasers they use are wildly inefficient. It is very hard to break even when you lose 90% of your input power right at the start

[DennisP]

But the relevant question is, how efficient are equivalent modern lasers? NIF was built in the early 2000s and laser technology has advanced quite a bit in the past couple decades.

[seoaeu]

The lasers they use are extremely specialized, since they have to deliver outrageous amounts of power for a very short period of time. Advancements in normal lasers may not be of much use here

Edit: Wow, looks like they have improved considerably