Using'The New Math'-Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications in the Nuclear Power Industry

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are aiding scientists, engineers, regulators, and plant decision makers as they pursue advances in clean energy production research and development to achieve a net zero carbon footprint. While a nascent science in terms of actual applications, the advancements in AI/ML is enabling innovation in many domains ranging from material discovery and qualification; advanced reactor design; supporting efficiencies in current power plants; and transforming nuclear power plant control rooms usability. The nuclear power industry has, since its inception, relied on advancing mathematics, physics, science, and engineering to understand and manage the technologies that deliver clean energy. Many of these technical approaches were developed by practitioners and researchers in the nuclear industry itself (e.g., Monte Carlo methods for neutronics, extreme-environment material creation, high-temperature thermal-hydraulic phenomena modeling, risk analysis). In the case of AI/ML however, much (but not all) of the underlying technology is being developed via other domains including data scientists, computer engineering, and computer science. These non-nuclear communities (for example, Alphabet, Paper with Code, OpenAI, H20.ai, Facebook AI, and others) are investing a large amount of expertise, time, and funding to push the state-of-possible forward for AI/ML. This investment benefits the nuclear community and positions them to create new impactful technologies by leveraging and adapting advancements in AI/ML — through applied research and development — for nuclear-specific …