NuScale Power is deploying nuclear-specific artificial intelligence tools to speed up the development of its advanced small modular reactor technology, with initial testing showing the AI can reduce time spent finding critical engineering information by as much as 80%. The initiative combines NuScale's reactor expertise with Nuclearn's AtomAssist nuclear AI platform and NPX's nuclear project management experience to create purpose-built tools that help engineers navigate the growing volume of technical standards, licensing evidence, and institutional knowledge required to move SMR projects from design into real-world deployment.

Why Does Nuclear Energy Need Its Own AI Tools?

As advanced reactor projects transition from the drawing board to actual construction and operation, engineers face a critical challenge: making fast, informed decisions while managing enormous amounts of technical documentation. Unlike general-purpose AI systems trained on broad internet data, nuclear-specific AI understands the regulatory context, safety implications, and engineering standards that govern every decision in the industry. This matters because nuclear is one of the most heavily regulated sectors, where every engineering choice must be traceable back to controlled source documents and licensing requirements.

NuScale's proof-of-concept demonstrated that AI designed specifically for nuclear workflows could dramatically improve efficiency. The system reduced the time required to find relevant engineering information by as much as 80% while surfacing the most relevant methods and standards. This speed gain is crucial because SMR projects operate on tight schedules, and delays in accessing the right technical information can cascade across entire development timelines.

"NuScale is building a transformative deployment model to integrate NuScale Power Modules into nuclear power plants in the near-term, which requires executing with speed, precision, and confidence. This partnership with Nuclearn and NPX will equip our teams with the right purpose-built AI tools grounded in our extensive proprietary knowledge to work more efficiently while maintaining the highest safety and quality standards," said Dr. José Reyes, Chief Technology Officer of NuScale Power.

Dr. José Reyes, Chief Technology Officer at NuScale Power

How to Implement Nuclear AI in Engineering Workflows

• Ground AI in Controlled Knowledge: Train the system exclusively on verified engineering documents, licensing materials, and technical standards rather than general internet data, ensuring every answer can be traced back to an authoritative source.
• Integrate Regulatory Understanding: Build the AI to recognize regulatory implications and safety considerations behind engineering decisions, not just retrieve raw information.
• Combine Industry Expertise with Technology: Partner nuclear professionals with AI specialists and project managers to ensure the tools solve real problems that teams face in their day-to-day work.

The partnership reflects a broader industry recognition that AI is only valuable when it can be trusted to deliver accurate, traceable information. In nuclear energy, where safety is paramount and regulatory compliance is non-negotiable, generic AI tools fall short. Nuclearn's platform was purpose-built by nuclear industry veterans to understand the operational context and safety-critical nature of nuclear decision-making.

"AI is only as valuable as the knowledge it can be trusted to deliver. In a highly regulated, safety-critical industry like nuclear, every answer must be grounded in controlled engineering and licensing information. Our platform understands the operational context, regulatory implications, and safety considerations behind every decision, and gives engineers rapid access to the knowledge they need," explained Jerrold Vincent, CFO and Co-Founder of Nuclearn.

Jerrold Vincent, CFO and Co-Founder at Nuclearn

What's Happening in Global SMR Markets?

While NuScale accelerates its technology development with AI tools, the global small modular reactor market is expanding at different rates across regions. Russia's SMR market was valued at $1,034.1 million in 2024 and is projected to reach $1,260.1 million by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3%. This growth slightly exceeds the global average of 3%, driven by Russia's strategic emphasis on nuclear energy diversification, domestic technological advancement, and the need to serve remote regions across its vast geography.

South Korea presents a different picture. Its SMR market was valued at $115.2 million in 2024 with a projected reach of $124.8 million by 2029, representing a more modest CAGR of 1.4%. South Korea's measured approach reflects its commitment to carbon neutrality and industrial decarbonization, but also regulatory caution and extended timelines for SMR commercialization. The country leverages its advanced nuclear engineering capabilities and established supply chain, positioning itself as a regional leader in SMR technology development, though near-term growth remains constrained by deployment timelines and competition from conventional nuclear and renewable energy sources.

The divergence between these markets highlights how regional factors shape SMR adoption. Russia emphasizes energy independence and decentralized power for remote applications, while South Korea balances technological innovation with regulatory discipline and competing renewable energy initiatives. Both countries recognize SMRs as critical to their energy futures, but their growth trajectories reflect different strategic priorities and market maturity levels.

"Across Canada, the United States, and the global nuclear market, new nuclear projects face the same challenge: how to move faster without compromising quality, safety, or regulatory discipline. NuScale is taking a practical step the rest of the industry can learn from. NPX brings the nuclear project experience and implementation discipline needed to turn promising technology into practical tools that teams can use in their day-to-day work," noted Joshua Bell, Director of NPX US.

Joshua Bell, Director at NPX US

NuScale's AI deployment represents a practical response to a challenge facing the entire nuclear industry: how to accelerate development without sacrificing the rigorous safety and regulatory standards that define the sector. By combining nuclear-specific language models with trusted engineering content and project management discipline, the company is demonstrating that AI can be a powerful tool for nuclear professionals when it is purpose-built for their unique needs and constraints.