Microsoft and Idaho National Laboratory have joined forces to implement artificial intelligence solutions which will accelerate the time-consuming permitting procedures for nuclear power plants across the United States.
The partnership between Microsoft and INL uses AI technology to produce intricate safety and engineering reports that support construction and operating licenses. The reports consist of extensive documents that use previous successful application data and need human review to refine them.
According to Microsoft federal AI director Nelli Babayan the system allows users to modify content through human intervention with or without AI support. The initiative implements President Trump’s executive orders to accelerate nuclear licensing because of rising energy requirements from AI-powered data centers.
The AI models demonstrate potential to enhance operational efficiency at current nuclear power plants. According to Scott Ferrara from INL the process of filing detailed amendment requests for capacity increases could benefit from AI analysis of more than 80 previous upgrade projects.
The nuclear industry faces new opportunities for growth because AI technology shows promise to reduce permit processing times from multiple years down to 18 months. The joint project between Microsoft and INL demonstrates how machine learning technology will transform critical energy infrastructure operations as the United States experiences increasing electricity demand.
