Emerging Technologies and Their Roles in a Nuclear Future

The report examines how emerging technologies are being integrated into the civil nuclear sector to support the goal of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050. It highlights US-led diplomatic initiatives like the FIRST program, which promotes the export of next-generation reactors to counter Russian and Chinese influence. The text details technical advancements in neutron detection by the Bay Area Neutron Group and the IAEA's use of AI and satellite imagery for safeguards. It further explores the symbiotic relationship between AI and nuclear energy, where advanced reactors provide stable power for AI data centers while AI optimizes reactor design and safety through physics-informed machine learning and digital twins.

• The US government is using the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of SMR Technology (FIRST) program to promote the export of next-generation reactor designs to partner nations, aiming to provide alternatives to the "build-own-operate model and compelling up-front finances offered by Russian or Chinese counterparts". Through July 2024, the program had spent $75 million and engaged with 45 partner nations, including Argentina, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
• The Bay Area Neutron Group (BANG) has developed a new method for measuring the light yield of organic scintillators using the 88-inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This research supports the development of the single volume scatter camera (SVSC), a handheld neutron imager for emergency response or arms control, and a technique for investigating plasma instabilities in Z-pinch fusion energy designs.
• The IAEA is integrating AI and machine learning to manage the vast volume of open-source information and satellite imagery used for state evaluations. This includes the Open Source Information System (OSIS) for automated collection and an AI-powered tool that provides a "relevance score" for articles. However, human analysts remain essential to combat generative AI-produced misinformation and validate results.
• Advanced non-light water reactors (non-LWRs), such as SMRs and microreactors, are uniquely positioned to provide the stable, high-density power required by AI-driven data centers operated by companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and OpenAI, particularly as intermittent renewables struggle to meet this demand.
• AI is being applied to nuclear technology through physics-informed machine learning and digital twins to enable high-accuracy simulations, autonomous reactor control, and predictive maintenance. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has established a five-year "AI Strategic Plan" (2023S 2027) to ensure regulatory readiness for these applications.
• The transition to advanced reactor types, such as molten salt-fueled reactors, creates new safeguards challenges because traditional "item accountancy" for fuel pins no longer applies. This necessitates the development of new non-destructive assay techniques for online monitoring of special nuclear material (SNM) in liquid mixtures.

APA

Loy, T., Parthemore, C., & Rezzonico, A. (2024). Emerging Technologies and Their Roles in a Nuclear Future. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2024/10/30/emerging-technologies-and-their-roles-in-a-nuclear-future/

Chicago

Loy, Taylor, Christine Parthemore, and Andrea Rezzonico. Emerging Technologies and Their Roles in a Nuclear Future. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2024. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2024/10/30/emerging-technologies-and-their-roles-in-a-nuclear-future/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Loy |first1=Taylor |last2=Parthemore |first2=Christine |last3=Rezzonico |first3=Andrea |title=Emerging Technologies and Their Roles in a Nuclear Future |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=30 October 2024 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2024/10/30/emerging-technologies-and-their-roles-in-a-nuclear-future/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{loy2024emerging, author = {Loy, Taylor and Parthemore, Christine and Rezzonico, Andrea}, title = {{Emerging Technologies and Their Roles in a Nuclear Future}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2024/10/30/emerging-technologies-and-their-roles-in-a-nuclear-future/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }