Nuclear regulators share lessons on AI deployment
Nuclear safety regulators from 15 countries gathered at the Nuclear Energy Agency headquarters on 25-26 March 2026 to discuss how artificial intelligence can support their oversight and internal operations. The workshop brought together regulators and AI experts to compare experiences with tools already in use or under development.
Presentations covered practical applications: AI systems that generate summaries and presentations, tools that improve simulation capabilities, and software that retrieves information from regulatory documents. Participants discussed what works, what doesn't, and where to focus next.
What regulators learned
Several patterns emerged across different regulatory bodies:
- Regulatory bodies need formal frameworks that set out procedures and guidance for AI use
- AI projects with narrow, well-defined scope perform better than broad initiatives
- Success requires clear metrics defined before deployment begins
- On-premise AI models may address cybersecurity, data sovereignty, and privacy concerns better than cloud-based alternatives
- Human judgment remains essential for final decisions and interpreting AI outputs
The workshop revealed that regulators face similar implementation challenges despite working in different countries and regulatory systems. Data security and maintaining human oversight emerged as shared concerns.
Eetu Ahonen, Vice-Chair of the NEA Working Group on New Technologies, said the discussions demonstrated value in comparing approaches. "Every regulator is exploring AI from a different angle, but the experiences we have with implementation of AI tools, data security challenges, and ensuring human oversight are remarkably similar," Ahonen said. "By sharing openly and learning from each other, we are strengthening our ability to use AI responsibly and efficiently to improve nuclear safety."
The NEA will publish a brochure documenting the workshop's key findings, challenges, and recommended practices for regulatory AI use.
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