The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has been awarded more than £260,000 by the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) AI Capability Fund to support the safe and secure deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in nuclear installations.
The project will run from September 2025 to March 2026 and will focus on AI in computer vision and data classification, using sandboxing to explore how regulation can support the nuclear industry to safely realise the potential benefits of AI.
The 261,028 funding was awarded as part of a competitive process assessed by the Regulatory Innovation Office in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), aiming to streamline regulation in key growth industries and support the UK government’s ambitions for growth and efficiency in the nuclear sector.
The regulatory sandbox will explore examples of how AI can be used to analyse, interpret and categorise data in nuclear installations, focusing on key test cases through deep-dive sessions.
Two potential test cases are:
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AI in non-destructive testing, for example, interpretation of weld radiographs, which is especially relevant to new build and operating facilities; and
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AI for nuclear waste characterisation, including determining waste properties and sorting and segregating intermediate-level waste from low-level waste, which is especially relevant to the nuclear decommissioning and waste management industries.
However, ONR is open to any ideas that fall within the remit of the project.
This work builds on ONR’s previous AI regulatory sandbox pilot (run jointly with the Environment Agency and funded by the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund), as well its work with the US and Canadian nuclear regulators on key principles to support deployment of AI in the nuclear sector.
Paolo Picca, ONR’s Innovation Lead, said: “We are delighted to have been granted funding for this project, which will build on our pioneering AI nuclear regulatory sandboxing work.
"It will provide the UK nuclear industry with the opportunity to come together and discuss key enablers of innovation, including mindset changes, and how our regulation can support the implementation of innovative solutions.
“The project will be delivered alongside the Environment Agency; we also plan to work with other regulators, including those outside the nuclear sector, to learn from their experience and help drive consistency across industries.”
Peter Kyle, DSIT Science and Technology Secretary, said: “This isn't about cutting safety corners - it's about smart regulation. Whether approving clean energy projects faster to cut bills or clearing paths for life-saving medical devices, we're making regulators champions of British innovation."
ONR is keen to receive expressions of interest from organisations working on AI applications that could be suitable for the test case deep dives.
Please get in touch as soon as possible via contact@onr.gov.uk.