Microsoft and NVIDIA announced a partnership Tuesday to use artificial intelligence to boost the “entire lifecycle” of nuclear power.
The technology giants said they would provide AI tools to target bottlenecks that slow down projects, particularly in the design phase and regulatory review process. The aim is to streamline everything from permitting to the construction and operation of reactors.
The initiative “hopefully will play an important role in expanding the construction of nuclear power … in part by pursuing processes that are more repeatable,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston.
The partnership highlights how companies are not just looking for power to fuel AI, but also considering how AI can boost power — or at least speed up energy planning. Last year, Google said it was teaming up with the nation’s largest grid operator to streamline the grid interconnection process with AI, for example.
