Artificial Intelligence is gaining momentum across every sector of the energy industry, and nuclear is no exception. Yet, despite real-world deployments and growing acceptance among engineers and regulators, outdated assumptions about AI persist—slowing adoption, blocking innovation, and ultimately costing facilities time, money, and human capital.
At Nuclearn, we’ve seen firsthand how AI can help nuclear teams solve critical challenges—from accelerating 50.59 evaluations to digitizing field work execution. But to unlock its full potential, we must first confront the myths.
This post breaks down the five most persistent misconceptions we encounter when discussing AI with utilities, engineers, regulators, and the public—and why each one is due for retirement.
1. AI Replaces People
The most common misconception—and often the most emotional—is that AI is here to replace engineers, planners, or operations staff. This could not be further from the truth.
Every Nuclearn solution is built on a “human-in-the-loop” foundation. Our AI is designed to assist professionals by automating repetitive or time-consuming tasks, allowing them to spend more time applying their critical thinking, experience, and judgment.
For example, Engineering AI can scan through thousands of condition reports (CRs) in seconds to surface relevant issues. But the decision about whether a 50.59 threshold has been met? That still belongs to the engineer.
“We don’t take engineers out of the loop—we give them better tools inside it.”
2. Regulators Won’t Allow AI
It’s true that nuclear is one of the most heavily regulated industries on Earth. And that’s a good thing. But assuming that regulation and AI are incompatible misses an important shift happening in the industry.
Regulators are not opposing AI—they are increasingly participating in conversations about how it can support safer, more auditable operations.
Nuclearn’s AI systems are designed to enhance compliance. Every recommendation is traceable. Every interaction can be logged. Outputs are consistent, reviewable, and auditable.
In fact, our human-in-the-loop workflows often provide more accountability than existing paper-driven systems.
We work within the bounds of 10 CFR 50.59, 50.72, Appendix B, and Part 810. AI isn’t a loophole—it’s a tool to execute regulatory responsibilities with greater efficiency and rigor.
3. Generic AI Tools Work Just Fine
You may have heard that ChatGPT or a plug-in LLM can “handle nuclear documentation.” We’ve even heard teams ask if they could simply drop their procedures into a public chatbot and get answers back.
Let’s be clear: generic AI tools are not built for nuclear.
They do not understand:
- Plant-specific licensing basis and design basis rules
- Condition reporting systems
- Corrective action protocols
- Engineering workflows governed by QA and safety compliance
By contrast, Nuclearn’s tools are trained with nuclear-specific language, rulesets, and domain experience. Our platforms know the difference between a maintenance rule failure and a licensing threshold. That context matters.
“You wouldn’t use a kitchen timer to run a reactor. Don’t use generic AI to run your plant.”
4. AI Can’t Be Deployed Securely
Security is not an afterthought. It’s a starting point.
All Nuclearn solutions are deployable on-premise, behind your firewall, and air-gapped if necessary. We are fully Part 810–compliant, meaning none of your data is ever exposed to public models or cloud APIs.
In secure deployments, we:
- Run local inference on utility-controlled infrastructure
- Support role-based access and authentication
- Provide complete audit trails for every AI decision
- Operate within closed systems with full IT visibility
Our customers run these systems in the most critical environments in the U.S. nuclear fleet. And they trust our infrastructure to meet their cyber and export control needs without compromise.
5. AI is Only for Advanced Utilities
Some leaders assume their plant is too small, too traditional, or too legacy to benefit from AI. That’s another myth.
In reality, the tools that make the biggest difference are often the ones that address universally painful problems—like documentation backlog, mod review time, or CR screening.
That’s why we’ve built our solutions to be modular, phased, and adaptable. Whether you’re a one-unit site with a lean staff or a multi-site operator with enterprise systems, AI can work for you.
In fact, some of our most successful deployments have been at facilities that viewed digital transformation as a necessity—not a luxury.
Conclusion: Moving Beyond Myths
The nuclear industry is evolving. Energy demand is rising. The workforce is retiring. And the expectations on plant performance, compliance, and efficiency have never been higher.
AI isn’t a futuristic concept. It’s a present-day enabler. But only if we let go of the myths that have held us back.
At Nuclearn, we’re ready to work with you to explore what secure, explainable, human-centered AI looks like in your plant. Let’s move beyond misconceptions—and get to work.