The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is implementing three key projects to improve nuclear safety and efficiency. These efforts emphasise both the innovative technologies under development and the broader impact on regulatory frameworks and safety measures.
They include:
- Developing and testing artificial intelligence (AI) applications to improve efficiency of plant operations while maintaining the gold standard for safety;
- Creating a framework to speed up reactor licensing; and
- Developing a tool to detect plant faults early.
Argonne researchers are working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to explore how AI can be used in the nuclear industry. AI tools have the potential to make operations more efficient, lower costs and improve safety. For example, AI could help to predict when equipment needs maintenance, create better models for complex systems and optimise how facilities operate.
The researchers are testing an AI system at an experimental facility and putting it through a full regulatory review to see how it measures up to safety standards. This project helps to connect the fast pace of AI development with the rules and safeguards needed to make sure these technologies can be used safely and securely in critical areas like the nuclear industry.
Through a partnership with DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Argonne is creating the Regulatory Context Protocol (RCP) to streamline the licensing process for advanced nuclear reactors. It automates applicant-regulator communication using AI agents that represent both the nuclear facility and the regulator. The RCP is designed to reduce delays in regulatory workflows, improve information quality and ensure compliance with NRC standards. By reducing delays in regulatory communication, the RCP will help meet accelerated licensing timelines ensuring that advanced nuclear reactors can be deployed more quickly.
“The traditional licensing process can be a significant bottleneck for deploying advanced nuclear technology,” said Akshay Dave, manager of intelligent systems group and project lead. “With the RCP, we’re essentially creating a digital express lane for regulatory communication. By using AI to structure and automate this dialogue, we can dramatically reduce timelines and get nuclear energy onto the grid faster.”
Argonne has also developed Parameter-Free Reasoning Operator for Automated Identification and Diagnosis (PRO-AID) – a physics-based AI tool that uses “digital twins” to identify unusual behaviour in real-time. By integrating physical principles rather than relying on data alone, PRO-AID can spot faults such as sensor bias and cooling failures early.
PRO-AID has been successfully tested in Argonne’s Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop (METL) facility. The tool’s real-time monitoring allows operators to fix issues before they cause downtime. These initiatives are vital steps toward ensuring that AI technologies can be successfully and safely integrated into the nuclear industry.
“These initiatives are vital steps toward ensuring that AI technologies can be successfully and safely integrated into the nuclear industry,” said Argonne senior nuclear engineer Rick Vilim. “By proactively identifying the relevant regulatory frameworks, we are advancing innovation while reinforcing public trust in the safety and reliability of these technologies.” He added: “By proactively identifying the relevant regulatory frameworks, we are advancing innovation while reinforcing public trust in the safety and reliability of these technologies.”
According to ANL, elements from these projects will help the nuclear industry embrace the potential of AI, paving the way for safer, smarter and more cost-effective nuclear technologies. From streamlining regulatory processes with the RCP to enhancing fault diagnostics with PRO-AID, Argonne is setting a standard for how emerging technologies can be responsibly integrated into high-stakes industries.
