The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) jointly hosted the International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear Energy on 4–5 May 2026 at the International Convention Centre, Jeju, Korea. Held under the theme Building the AI playbook to accelerate deployment and reduce costs, the workshop brought together more than 170 policymakers, industry and technology representatives, experts and emerging leaders to better understand how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform nuclear energy across its full life cycle.
Over a two-day technical programme, discussions highlighted how AI is already delivering tangible value in the nuclear sector. Participants emphasised that the main challenge is not the development of algorithms themselves, but rather scaling deployment through high-quality data governance, explainability, regulatory-grade evidence and integration into engineering and maintenance workflows. Practical examples illustrated how AI can directly connect plant performance data with operational and economic decision making at fleet scale.
The exchanges also underscored that AI’s impact extends well beyond operations, with growing applications in knowledge management, new build programmes and dismantling, where information complexity increasingly becomes a key constraint. Across all discussions, participants stressed the importance of aligning deployment with internationally recognised frameworks particularly regarding transparency, accountability, robustness and human oversight. A strong consensus emerged that AI in the nuclear energy field must remain firmly human-centred, with engineers retaining judgment and accountability in safety-critical environments. The sector’s challenge is now shifting from isolated AI tools toward the development of trusted industrial ecosystems that integrate data, engineering expertise, operational workflows and partnerships across the nuclear value chain.
The winning team of the NEA Coding Competition, which took place in March of this year, was also highlighted during the workshop.
A hands-on AI session organised on the margins of the workshop invited participants to join interactive sessions on the fundamentals of AI, pilot generative AI tools and solutions, learn how to predict failures and detect anomalies as well as create tools with clear, professional visualisations.
