Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) announced a collaboration on Wednesday aimed at speeding up the permitting process for new nuclear power plants by leveraging artificial intelligence technology.
The partnership will deploy Microsoft’s AI tools to create detailed engineering and safety analysis reports required for construction permits and operating licenses at U.S. nuclear sites. These AI systems are trained on previously successful applications and can synthesize extensive data from technical studies into comprehensive permit documents often spanning hundreds of pages.
“It’s created for human refinement, so a human can go through each of the sections and, specifically as needed, edit any of the sections, whether manually, or maybe with the help of AI – it’s really up to the human,” said Nelli Babayan, AI director for federal civilian business at Microsoft.
This project supports recent executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump in May, which seek to accelerate the typically lengthy nuclear licensing process, potentially cutting it down to 18 months. The faster approvals respond to growing energy demands driven by expanding AI data centers.
The AI technology could also assist existing nuclear plants aiming to boost power output. Scott Ferrara, deputy division director for nuclear safety and regulatory research at INL, noted that the AI can utilize data from roughly 82 previous power uprates to facilitate license amendment applications.
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