Artificial Intelligence

The development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and growing in all spheres of life — nuclear science and technology are no exception. The Agency has continued participating in the high-level dialogue within the UN system on the use of AI, and has signed Practical Arrangements with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to enhance cooperation in the use of the ‘AI for Good’ platform.

The Agency’s AI-related activities in 2023

• A contest for start-up companies launched by the Agency, the ITU, FAO and UNESCO on jumpstarting AI-powered solutions for food and climate-smart agriculture and water resources management. Following the announcement of the winners at COP28, the Agency started working with these start-ups to identify ways to utilize the analytical capabilities of AI to provide insights into its large data sets collected using various nuclear technologies.
• Publication of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Physics, which contextualizes the roles and responsibilities of clinically qualified medical physicists in applying AI in radiation medicine;
• Designation of two Collaborating Centres on AI: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Plasma Science and Fusion Center, focusing on fusion science applications, and Purdue University, focusing on nuclear power applications;
• A new coordinated research project bringing together academia and industry to assess the role of generative AI in relation to public safety during an emergency response;
• Research and development of machine learning to improve the efficiency of Agency safeguards inspector and analyst review of surveillance footage;
• A special side event during the 67th regular session of the General Conference featuring presentations on the adoption of AI in radiation medicine and the nuclear power sector and the Agency’s expected role in this regard;
• Launch of a collaborative platform and network on the use of AI in nuclear power industries; and
• Application of AI tools across the Agency, including in relation to cyber security, machine translation, speech-to-text conversion, data extraction and mapping the IT landscape.