International RegLab Project reports on AI use in nuclear power plant operations – Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)

The International RegLab Project has released its first report of the first RegLab cycle, marking a significant milestone in collaborative efforts to explore how innovative technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), can be effectively, safely and transparently integrated into the nuclear sector.
RegLab is a “sandboxing” activity that brings together technologists, operators and regulators to collectively examine how emerging technologies may progress from concept to deployment. Building on experience from regulatory sandboxing in other sectors, such as finance, aviation and medicine, and an earlier international pilot work supported by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the International Atomic Energy Agency’s ISOP initiative, and the Canadian Nuclear Society in 2024, the NEA RegLab Project is tailored to address nuclear sector challenges and regulatory expectations.
The newly released report summarises insights from the first full RegLab cycle (RegLab #1), which focused on the use of AI technologies in real-time monitoring of nuclear power plant data to identify operational inconsistencies.
AI use case: Real‑time monitoring for anomaly detection
RegLab #1 explored a representative AI application designed to detect anomalies in real-time operational data. Participants from regulatory bodies, industry and the technology community noted the potential benefits of such systems, such as improved safety margins, early detection of deviations and the possibility of reducing operational costs.
Two major challenges emerged clearly across discussions:
Evaluation of the RegLab approach
Participants reported that the RegLab structure was logical, inclusive and effective in fostering constructive dialogue. The iterative development of a hypothetical case encouraged stakeholders to explore issues from multiple viewpoints, including those of regulators, operators and technology developers.
Recommendations for future work
Based on the gaps identified, the report recommends establishing working groups to develop good practice guidance for an AI nuclear assurance framework. Priority areas include:
These actions are intended to support both innovation and regulatory robustness, ensuring that AI technologies can be deployed safely and effectively across diverse nuclear applications.
Implemented under the auspices of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and in co-operation with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Network on Innovation to Support Operating Nuclear Power Plants (ISOP), the initiative is supported by regulatory bodies and technical support organisations, including:
As AI technologies advance rapidly, the RegLab initiative is expected to play a growing role in helping the international nuclear community understand both the opportunities and the challenges associated with their application. The insights from RegLab #1 provide an early foundation for harmonised approaches and open a new chapter in internationally co-ordinated regulatory innovation.
The full report is available on the Ennuvo website.
press@oecd-nea.org

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