Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the American economy. It is driving prosperity through advancements in technology, improved manufacturing efficiencies, and enhanced healthcare solutions. To continue this pace of rapid progress, however, we need dependable and scalable energy sources. Advanced nuclear energy stands ready as a reliable solution, powering America's continued leadership in the digital age.
On July 17 and 18, the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory co-hosted the AI x Nuclear Energy Executive Summit: Unleashing the Power for AI.
This event brought together leaders from tech companies, the nuclear energy industry, national labs and the U.S. government to discuss how to meet AI's energy needs in smarter ways.
Accelerating nuclear deployment to power the digital age
As AI continues to unlock new economic and technological opportunities, it is crucial to provide the reliable energy infrastructure needed to sustain its growth. Participants at the summit highlighted how AI itself can be leveraged to enhance the efficiency, design and operation of nuclear power plants, streamlining reactor design processes, accelerating licensing and optimizing plant maintenance.
The summit marked one of the first major forums dedicated to building the energy infrastructure needed to support AI's growth and secure America's digital future.
Forging nuclear-AI partnerships
"To power AI and to power our world, the most promising source, alongside our backbone hydrocarbon system, is nuclear," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "Let's use the tools of AI to get nuclear technology rolling again. It's the people in this room who have been major drivers of those technologies - nuclear, AI, and computation. We want America to lead in the nuclear renaissance. Let's drive AI and nuclear to the future. I'm all in on that as your partner in D.C. We have the programs, we have the funding and we're working across the government to make it happen."
Participants explored how AI can accelerate nuclear energy deployment, from advanced modeling and design to streamlining operations and regulatory processes. Discussions focused on defining priorities, identifying opportunities for joint action and shaping future energy and AI policies.
Looking ahead
The summit helped lay the groundwork for future projects that bring nuclear energy and AI closer together. By sharing knowledge and setting priorities, the participants are working to build energy systems that can keep up with the fast-changing digital world.
"Convening national leaders from across AI, nuclear energy and the utilities sector reflects the urgency and opportunity of this moment," said Paul Kearns, director of Argonne National Laboratory. "We explored how advanced nuclear can help meet AI's growing energy needs - and how AI can accelerate the deployment of next-generation reactors. The collaborations strengthened here will help guide the future of AI and energy innovation."
"For the nation to leverage the unprecedented potential of AI and emerging technologies, we must prepare to power these engines of innovation," said Stephen Streiffer, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "National labs have long partnered with industry to tackle urgent energy challenges. This summit continued crucial dialogues between the different communities that must come together to seize this moment."
"AI is revolutionizing nuclear energy development and deployment at the scale and speed needed to meet energy goals," said Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner. "AI applications are transforming every aspect of nuclear energy, from optimizing reactor designs and advancing next-generation fuels to improving efficiency of existing plant operations. The success of this transformation hinges on robust private-public partnerships to rapidly deploy these technologies."
By fostering relationships and mutual understanding, the summit underscored the need to build robust energy infrastructure. It underscored the urgency of building robust energy infrastructure to support AI's growth and ensure America's global competitiveness.
As the demand for electricity grows, finding reliable and abundant energy sources becomes more important. The AI x Nuclear Energy Executive Summit moved the conversation forward - bringing the future of energy a little closer to today.
This story was originally posted on the Argonne National Laboratory website .
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science .
