How the NRC is Preparing for AI Technologies in the Nuclear Industry

On this page:

• Overview
• International Activities on AI
• US-Canada-UK Trilateral Collaboration on AI
• US-Germany-France Trilateral Collaboration on AI
• Future Focused Research
• Regulatory Framework Applicability Assessment of AI in Nuclear Applications
• AI Public Workshops

Overview

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being explored across the nuclear sector, presenting both opportunities to enhance regulatory insight and challenges that require careful consideration. To support informed, responsible use of AI in nuclear applications, the NRC engages externally through international collaboration, applied research, regulatory readiness assessments, and public forums for technical exchange. The activities highlighted on this page reflect a coordinated approach to understanding emerging AI technologies, evaluating their implications for nuclear regulation, and engaging with the broader technical and regulatory community as these tools continue to evolve.

International Activities on AI

The NRC actively engages with international regulatory counterparts to advance the safe, secure, and responsible use of artificial intelligence in nuclear applications. Recognizing that AI technologies are rapidly evolving and increasingly global in scope, the NRC collaborates with international partners to share regulatory insights, conduct cooperative research, and help shape emerging standards and guidance. International engagement is a key element of the NRC’s Artificial Intelligence Project Plan and supports a coordinated approach to addressing both the opportunities and challenges posed by AI in nuclear regulation.

Through long-standing relationships with international regulatory and research organizations, the NRC exchanges best practices, lessons learned, and technical perspectives on AI-enabled tools and methodologies. The NRC works with other member states through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on technical exchanges related to AI and participates in trilateral collaborations with Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. These engagements support harmonization of regulatory thinking, promote consistency in oversight approaches, and strengthen global nuclear safety as AI technologies are increasingly explored across the nuclear sector.

US-Canada-UK Trilateral Collaboration on AI

The NRC is actively involved in international activities and maintains a strong leadership role in nuclear safety research on AI, while gaining insights from international experience. In September 2024, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), and the NRC jointly published an AI principles paper titled "Considerations for Developing Artificial Intelligence Systems in Nuclear Applications". This paper outlines guiding principles to consider when using AI to ensure the safe and secure operation of nuclear facilities and other nuclear materials. The principles discuss the need to clarify and address the challenges arising from these fast-developing technologies while encouraging the beneficial uses of AI.

US-Germany-France Trilateral Collaboration on AI

Building on the principles-based foundation of the US-Canada-UK trilateral paper, the NRC is collaborating with France’s ASNR and Germany’s GRS on a trilateral effort focused on translating AI principles into practical regulatory application. This initiative is developing a structured, regulator-focused framework for implementing and evaluating natural language processing (NLP) in nuclear oversight, supported by real-world case studies from each participating organization. The U.S. contribution centers on applying NLP to nuclear operating experience, such as the classification and analysis of narrative information in event reports, to improve consistency, efficiency, and insight while keeping expert judgment firmly in the loop. The resulting paper is intended to provide a reusable methodology that can inform and support regulators, researchers, and technology developers across the nuclear sector as AI-enabled tools continue to mature.

Future Focused Research

The NRC is investing in AI research through the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research’s Future Focused Research (FFR) program to explore how AI can support our mission and build foundational knowledge across the agency. Launched in FY 2020, the FFR program serves as an enabler to identify areas where AI could be used to meet our mission while simultaneously building foundational knowledge across the agency.

As interest in AI has grown in recent years, several FFR projects have shifted their focus to AI topics. Some examples include:

1. Using machine learning (ML) to inform inspection planning;
2. Characterizing cyber security states using AI/ML; and
3. Applying a natural language processing model to analyze regulatory documents.

Regulatory Framework Applicability Assessment of AI in Nuclear Applications

The NRC conducts research and engages with domestic and international partners to evaluate how existing regulatory frameworks apply to the use of artificial intelligence in nuclear applications. In June 2023, the NRC initiated a comprehensive assessment of its regulations and guidance to determine whether they are flexible and adequate to support the potential use of AI technologies in NRC-regulated activities. The resulting report, published in October 2024 (ML24290A059), examined NRC regulations and more than 500 Regulatory Guides across all program areas, identifying that the current framework is generally sufficient to accommodate AI, with targeted areas where additional clarification or guidance may be beneficial. The assessment provides a foundation for future work to address application-specific considerations, inform potential updates to guidance and inspection practices, and support continued readiness of NRC staff as AI technologies evolve.

AI Public Workshops

The NRC hosts an annual series of Artificial Intelligence Regulatory Applications Public Workshops and Symposia as an open forum for dialogue on AI advancements, regulatory considerations, and practical application experiences. These hybrid workshops bring together NRC leadership, agency staff, external experts, industry representatives, and academic contributors to share insights into AI technology trends, present real-world use cases, and discuss emerging research and regulatory challenges. Recent workshops have featured presentations on the NRC’s AI Project Plan implementation, panels on aligning innovation with safety, discussions of international and industry AI initiatives, and opportunities to gather feedback that informs the NRC’s evolving regulatory approach to AI. The series supports a shared understanding of benefits and risks associated with AI use in nuclear contexts and helps guide future research priorities, regulatory strategies, and collaborative activities.

For more details, please visit the NRC Artificial Intelligence Workshops webpage.