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California's last nuclear plant turns to generative AI for filing and finding the fine print

Nov 13, 2024 - theregister.com
California-based startup Atomic Canyon, in partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), is deploying the first commercial application of generative AI at a US nuclear power plant. The Neutron Enterprise AI platform will be used at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant to speed up document search and retrieval, a task that can take weeks due to the vast amounts of technical documentation and regulatory requirements. The AI system will be trained on nuclear regulations and the history of Diablo Canyon's operations, potentially saving plant operators and engineers significant time.

The Neutron Enterprise AI platform was developed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee and uses Nvidia's AI solution. While AI is not new in the nuclear industry, the generative element is, and there are concerns about its unpredictability. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has noted that generative AI's role in the nuclear industry will likely be limited to administrative tasks until its operation is better understood. Atomic Canyon plans to expand the AI's capabilities depending on the results of the document retrieval rollout.

Key takeaways:

  • A California startup, Atomic Canyon, is deploying the first commercial installation of generative AI at a US nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon Power Plant, in collaboration with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).
  • The AI platform, Neutron Enterprise, will be used to speed up document search and retrieval, helping plant operators and engineers save time by quickly locating and retrieving specific documents related to various analyses, reports, and evaluations.
  • The AI system was developed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee and trained on Nuclear Regulatory documents using ORNL's Frontier supercomputer.
  • Despite the advancements, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed concerns about the unpredictability of generative AI in the nuclear industry, highlighting the need for better understanding of how artificial networks function and come to conclusions.
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