The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has told the World Government Summit about its groundbreaking application of a nuclear sandbox exploring regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) within the nuclear industry.
Mark Foy, ONR's Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, attended the summit in Dubai, a global gathering focusing on innovation and technology to address universal challenges and setting the agenda for next-generation governments.
Nuclear regulation was featured for the first time during the three-day event with Mark participating in a high-level roundtable conversation co-hosted by the Nuclear Energy Agency and the United Arab Emirates’ nuclear regulator, Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).
The session focused on the potential to accelerate the development, licensing and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) through AI.
It considered how the international community could work together to ensure that AI is successfully implemented based on data driven considerations and safety regulations.
Participants heard from Mark about ONR piloting the world’s first application of a nuclear regulatory sandbox, applied to AI.
This has provided a safe space for regulators and industry stakeholders to consider how AI technologies could be regulated in the UK, how to mitigate risk, overcome obstacles and harness the benefits.
The pilot focused on two specific applications, AI and structural integrity and AI applied to a robotic glovebox, with an overall goal of reducing the cost and time for the entry of innovation and allowing ONR to test its arrangements.
Mark highlighted how the approach has now expanded to an international sandboxing of AI, and collaboration with the Canadian and American regulators has progressed positively, along with involvement from FANR and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.
This approach has now evolved into international RegLabs, a new initiative to enable the safe and efficient application of AI to enhance regulatory readiness and facilitate the development and deployment of small modular reactors.
Mark said: “It was great to be part of the roundtable discussion, involving diverse stakeholders who we haven’t interacted with before, providing a broad learning opportunity.
“There were specific takeaways for ONR and the regulatory community on AI developments that will improve regulatory efficiency, while still maintaining high standards of safety and security.
“AI is very much here today, and will be adopted widely in the nuclear sector for the benefits it will bring.
“Readiness is essential for regulators and ONR is working hard to ensure it is in the vanguard and prepared, recognising the potential safety and security benefits that AI will provide.”