Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced a new collaboration with Atomic Canyon, which is utilizing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) database in their search and generative AI understands and processes nuclear terminology with unmatched precision on Tuesday to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) in streamlining the licensing process for nuclear power plants.
The collaboration is intended to address the U.S.’s ambitious new deadlines for licensing reactor designs and commissioning new nuclear power plants. ORNL believes that AI can accelerate this process by enabling engineers to access information more quickly and efficiently, while also providing clear context to complex data.
Trey Lauderdale is the CEO of Atomic Canyon. He said, “Nuclear power is having a moment. It is twenty percent of the power in the United States. It is a very clean source of energy. It works 24/7. So across the United States and really across the world, we’re seeing a resurgence in nuclear power, which is incredibly exciting.”
The collaboration will also focus on developing Atomic Canyon’s “Neutron A.I.” software, enhancing its cybersecurity systems to protect sensitive nuclear information. This initiative is part of a broader effort to employ AI in various industries, including the nuclear sector, where there is a significant amount of documentation and administrative work that must be dealt with.
Lauderdale pointed out that the current licensing processes required for nuclear power can take months or even years. However, AI provides the potential to reduce these timeframes significantly. It is hoped that eventually AI can bring them down to weeks or even days. AI technology is advancing rapidly, and the challenge lies in training AI models to be reliable and comprehend nuclear terminology.
Lauderdale remarked, “Our view is there is no one-size-fits-all. This isn’t a scenario where you wave a magic wand and the AI solves all the problems. AI is a tool, just like the computer, just like the Internet, just like the iPhone, and it needs to be used in a very purposeful, safe, efficient way to drive these efficiencies in the nuclear power space.
Stephen Streiffer is the director of ORNL, emphasized the importance of AI in converting vast amounts of data into actionable information. He noted that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accumulated decades of operating experience and data from the operation of nuclear reactors, which AI can help process more efficiently.
Streiffer explained that “We can train AI models to be able to understand that information and help process it so that human beings can then take that information and do the regulatory part of the process that we need”.
Streiffer highlighted that Oak Ridge’s legacy in nuclear energy research dates back to the World War Two Manhattan Project, and this partnership is an opportunity to return to its roots.
This collaboration is expected to play a critical role in advancing and expanding the U.S. nuclear industry, making it more competitive globally. By integrating AI into the nuclear licensing process, the partnership aims to enhance efficiency and security, ultimately supporting the nation’s energy needs.