The Idaho National Laboratory is working on a suite of artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance nuclear energy research. During an interview at AWS Summit in Washington, D.C., the lab’s Scientific Computing Division Director Chris Ritter discussed how the organization is using generative AI to address complex scientific challenges across domains like reactor design and operations.

The lab successfully created a digital twin of an aging reactor, streaming real-time data to the cloud and using multiple machine-learning models to predict operational parameters. Ritter emphasized the broader implications of AI integration in these areas, like how “AI jams” engage scientists and lab directors to explore it. The approach represents a comprehensive strategy to not only advance scientific research, but also prepare the workforce for an AI-driven future.