Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
A review by the IAEA and partners has found that the United Republic of Tanzania has taken important steps to decentralize cancer services with a new centre bringing radiotherapy to the Kilimanjaro region and plans for expanding this critical treatment to other parts of the country.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Young professionals under 35 years are invited to submit essays on innovations in the nuclear fuel supply chain, with winners presenting at an IAEA conference in Vienna in October 2026.
Young professionals under 35 years are invited to submit essays on innovations in the nuclear fuel supply chain, with winners presenting at an IAEA conference in Vienna in October 2026.
The IAEA is inviting young professionals to submit innovative essays on nuclear fuel supply issues and prospects covering topics from uranium exploration to recycling of spent fuel. Winners will be invited to present their essays at the IAEA International Conference on Fuel Supply Chain for Sustainable Nuclear Power Development in Vienna on 13 to 15 October 2026.
Professionals can submit an essay on one of the following themes:
The deadline for submission is 10 January 2025. Shortlisted authors must submit a three-minute recorded presentation or video by 1 March 2026.
“We wish to encourage creative thinking about the fuel supply in the context of expanding nuclear power generation, including with advanced and innovative reactor concepts,” said Olena Mykolaichuk, Director of the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology Division. We are eager to see participation from women and professionals from developing countries, as well as experts in disciplines such as engineering, law, natural or social sciences who have a focus on the nuclear sector.”
The prospect of significantly increasing nuclear power generation by mid-century poses challenges across the nuclear fuel supply chain. This competition aims to highlight the career opportunities for young professionals in these fields.
Winners will have the opportunity to present their essays and participate in the conference which provides a global forum for fuel supply professionals to explore current topics and innovations. All essay applicants will also be considered for roles in other segments of the Conference programme.
For more details about the competition please click here.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Photo: The George Washington University Law School.
The IAEA in collaboration with George Washington University Law School is launching a Summer School on the international legal frameworks for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
This course will expand educational opportunities in nuclear law at a pivotal moment when more and more countries are turning to nuclear power to address energy security. Nuclear programmes require more than technology and infrastructure; they also require an advanced legal architecture and professionals to build and maintain it.
The joint initiative builds upon the IAEA Partnership Programme on Nuclear Law launched by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to increase educational and professional development opportunities for students and aspiring professionals in international and national nuclear law. The Summer School will bring together world-class expertise from around the globe in a two-week virtual programme scheduled for 16 to 25 June 2026.
In announcing the initiative, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that “the quality of nuclear law education today will directly affect the quality of our nuclear legal framework in the future. By strengthening legal education now, we are investing in the infrastructure that will support nuclear energy for decades to come.”
Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew, the Dean of the George Washington University Law School, noted, “GW Law is proud to contribute to this essential work, which is fundamentally tied to our institutional history. From the moment nuclear fission was announced on our campus, GW has played a pivotal role in teaching nuclear law since 1954.”
IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi at the signing of the collaboration with George Washington University Law School on 9 December 2025. (Photo. M.Magnaye / IAEA).
Nuclear law often operates behind the scenes, yet it provides the foundation that makes nuclear power possible. It creates the legal foundation for safety and security measures, safeguards against misuse, and liability frameworks throughout the entire lifecycle of nuclear facilities. Without these legal frameworks, even the most advanced technology cannot be deployed safely and securely. The field bridges international governance, national legislation and highly technical standards— an intersection that makes nuclear law both essential and complex.
Daily sessions are designed to transform how students understand nuclear energy from a legal perspective. The first week lays the groundwork by introducing the international legal architecture, key institutions and the core instruments that govern nuclear activities. The second week focuses on cutting-edge topics such as small modular reactors, fusion energy, space applications, maritime uses and the intricate legal considerations of financing and contracting nuclear projects.
GW’s foundational involvement in the nuclear field makes it a well-positioned partner for the Summer School, the first course of its kind. In 1939, George Washington University hosted the Fifth Washington Conference on Theoretical Physics, where physicist Niels Bohr first publicly announced the discovery of nuclear fission on 26 January 1939. This pivotal event marked the beginning of the “atomic age” and was commemorated with a plaque at GW in 1945. Passage of the USA’s Atomic Energy Act in 1954 marked the transition of nuclear power from military to civilian uses, in part by breaking the government monopoly over the technology and enabling private ownership and innovation. In response to this global shift, GW Law recognized the urgent need for a specialized legal discipline to govern this powerful new technology. Consequently, GW Law began teaching nuclear law in the 1954-55 academic year, becoming a pioneer in the field and establishing a legacy of expertise that continues today.
John Lach, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs signs the partnership agreement.
The program targets graduate law students from IAEA member countries, with limited places reserved for students in related technical disciplines such as engineering and physics.
Participants who complete the rigorous programme will earn a joint certificate from the IAEA and GW Law School. Applications will open in the New Year. Detailed information will be available on both institutions’ websites.
More information is found here.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Monika Shifotoka, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, Algeria’s Ambassador Larbi Latroch and Algeria’s Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs Ahmed Attaf at the virtual signing ceremony on 8 December 2025. (Photo:H.Shaffer).
The IAEA and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria have agreed to strengthen their partnership in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, focusing on energy security and water resource management.
The agreement, signed virtually on 8 December by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Algeria’s Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs Ahmed Attaf, reinforces the growing partnership between the two sides and marks an important step in supporting the country’s national development goals.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to harnessing nuclear innovation for sustainable development and to building a future where science serves people and progress,” said Mr Grossi.
“The IAEA will support Algeria as it explores its nuclear energy options — including small modular reactors for electricity generation and water desalination — and expands the use of nuclear techniques to strengthen water resource management.”
Mr. Ahmed Attaf, Algeria’s Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs said:
“Today, we’re putting pen to paper on this Joint Declaration. Honestly, it feels like we’re opening a new chapter with the International Atomic Energy Agency: a bigger, bolder, more exciting one. It’s the door wide open to new areas of cooperation: small modular reactors for seawater desalination, smarter water management with nuclear tech, and game-changing applications in agriculture.”
The signing follows the IAEA DG Grossi visit to Algiers in October, during which he and Minister Attaf discussed ways to expand cooperation in several areas including nuclear power, water management and food security. In a message following the visit, DG Grossi noted that “this visit marks the beginning of a new dynamism in our partnership,” highlighting Algeria’s commitment to leveraging nuclear science for progress.
Algeria expressed interest in developing nuclear power as part of its long-term energy strategy, including the use of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for both electricity generation and water desalination. Nuclear energy provides continuous baseload power, enhancing grid stability and resilience. This technology helps the country meet growing energy demands while addressing water scarcity challenges.
The agreement signed today builds on the IAEA technical cooperation project – Pre-Feasibility Studies and Capacity Development for Introducing Nuclear Power, which supports Algeria in developing the institutional, regulatory and technical infrastructure required under the IAEA Milestones Approach.
The Director General offered to dispatch an expert mission to Algeria to support the country’s preparation for developing nuclear power programme, particularly in assessing the feasibility of SMR applications including their integration into national infrastructure and energy planning.
A follow-up mission is planned for 2026 to expand collaboration on nuclear techniques for water resource management and agricultural applications, reinforcing Algeria’s efforts to improve food security and sustainable water use.
Algeria operates two research reactors – NUR reactor used for training and research and Es-Salem reactor, used for scientific research and producing radioisotopes.
The country is also an active partner in the IAEA’s efforts to expand access to cancer care. The University Hospital Centre of Bab El-Oued and Pierre and Marie Curie Cancer Centre were among the first five IAEA’s Anchor Centres under the Rays of Hope Initiative helping to strengthen and expand access to cancer care in Algeria and across the region.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Global health leaders convene at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna this week to advance radiation safety in medicine.
Monika Shifotoka, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
(Photo: H.Shaffer).
The International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine: X Ray Vision, organized by the IAEA and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), brings together experts to review global developments in radiation protection and safety of patients and health professionals, as well as discussing future challenges and opportunities.
“New imaging technologies, radiopharmaceuticals, digital systems and AI are transforming clinical practice. These advances bring enormous benefits, but they also change exposure patterns and create new challenges for regulators and health professionals,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the opening ceremony.
“We must keep up to ensure these advancements and new technologies are employed safely. Initiatives like IAEA’s Rays of Hope are helping broaden access to these technologies while strengthening capacity worldwide.”
Medical imaging and radiotherapy are essential for diagnosing and treating diseases. Each year, more than 4.2 billion medical radiological examinations and 6.2 million radiation therapy treatments are performed globally. Demand for these procedures continues to rise worldwide.
Ensuring robust radiation protection and safety standards are vital to support protection of patients, workers and the public from harmful effects of ionizing radiation.
The conference on radiation protection in medicine marks a milestone in assessing progress since the Bonn Call for Action, launched in 2012 to strengthen global radiation protection in medicine. Over the past decade, international and scientific organizations, regulators and professional societies have worked to implement its ten priority actions. These include improving justification — protecting patients from unnecessary exposures — and optimization — using the optimal radiation dose to achieve the clinical goal — to enhancing education and training.
The conference aims to help shape a shared vision to strengthen radiation protection and safety in medicine for the future. Participants will review current trends and patterns and, together, create a call to action to advance radiation protection over the next decade as the medical landscape evolves.
The week-long event will gather more than 672 participants from over 123 countries and 22 international organizations.
The conference will feature dynamic and cross-cutting sessions and roundtable discussions. Topics include ensuring the appropriate use of radiation in medical procedures, enhancing protection for patients and staff during diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and artificial intelligence in imaging and therapy.
“Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies are transforming radiation protection through faster data analysis, predictive modelling, and real-time monitoring,” said Rüdiger Krech, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration of the World Heath Organization. “Yet, our collective responsibility is to ensure these breakthroughs are equitably accessible so that all regions can benefit from technological progress in safeguarding patients’ health.”
Participants will also examine lessons learned from unintended and accidental exposures and explore practical approaches to strengthen safety culture across medical environments.
“In the Americas, as in many other regions, the demand for medical services that use ionizing radiation continues to rise, presenting unique challenges at all levels,” said Pablo Jiménez, PAHO’s Senior Advisor in Radiological Health. “Robust quality assurance programmes, supported by well-trained medical professionals, are essential to maximize benefits and minimize radiation risks of these services. We must ensure that the incorporation of these technologies into health systems translates into a safer care for all achieving optimal health outcomes.”
The International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine brings together over 672 participants from 123 countries and 22 international organizations. (Photo: H.Shaffer).
The IAEA develops and promotes international safety standards for radiation protection in medical applications. It supports member states in applying these standards in areas such as radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and diagnostic imaging to minimize unnecessary and unintended exposure while ensuring effective patient care and without jeopardizing medical outcomes. The IAEA provides guidance and training to support the implementation of best practices and strengthen safety culture in healthcare settings.
Access the conference via the live stream here.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Independent sampling and analysis by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the 17th batch of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)-treated water, which Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began discharging today from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), confirms that the tritium concentration is far below Japan’s operational limit.
As part of its ongoing safety review, the IAEA collected samples of this latest batch from the discharge vertical shaft and seawater pipe header where ALPS treated water is diluted with seawater before being discharged through a one-kilometre-long tunnel into the sea. On-site analysis confirmed that the tritium concentration is far below Japan’s operational limit of 1,500 becquerels per litre and is in line with international safety standards.
Approximately 125,400 cubic meters of water has been released since Japan started to discharge the ALPS-treated water in batches in August 2023. The IAEA has previously confirmed that the tritium concentrations in the first 16 batches were as well far below Japan’s operational limits.
In a comprehensive report issued on 4 July 2023 before the first discharge began, the IAEA’s safety review found that Japan’s plan for handling the treated water was consistent with international safety standards and that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.
Reports on sampling, independent analysis, data evaluation, as well as timelines, are available on the IAEA website.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) this week led a team of international experts in conducting sampling of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water that had been diluted with seawater ahead of its discharge into the sea at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) in the sixth mission carried out under the IAEA’s Additional Measures.
The IAEA and Japan agreed in September 2024 to implement the Additional Measures to enhance transparency of the ALPS treated water release and expand international participation in IAEA-led sampling missions. These measures allow third parties to conduct hands-on, independent checks of water concentration levels to confirm that the discharge of ALPS-treated water— initiated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) in August 2023—continues to meet international safety standards. TEPCO intends to discharge the treated water in a series of batches over the coming decades.
The IAEA began implementing these Additional Measures in October 2024. In February 2025, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi presided over the Additional Measures to collect seawater samples in the vicinity of FDNPS.
During this week’s mission – from 4 to 5 December – the international experts from the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Switzerland, alongside IAEA staff, conducted hands-on sampling of water from the discharge vertical shaft/ seawater pipe header. This part of the discharge facilities is where the ALPS-treated water is diluted with seawater before being released through a one-kilometre-long tunnel into the sea.
The samples were taken from the 17th batch of water, the discharge of which commenced yesterday. The IAEA confirmed that the tritium concentration in the batch is far below Japan’s operational limit.
Samples collected during the mission will be analysed by participating laboratories including: the China Institute for Radiation Protection, the Korea Institute for Nuclear Safety, the Institute for Problems of Environmental Monitoring of the Research and Production Association “Typhoon” in Russia, the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland, the IAEA Fukushima laboratory and TEPCO in Japan.
All international laboratories involved are members of the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network, selected for their demonstrated expertise and analytical excellence.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
On Monday 8 December, the IAEA’s International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine: X Ray Vision will commence at 10:30 CET at the IAEA headquarters, in the Vienna International Centre (VIC).
The week-long conference will be open to the press and will be livestreamed here.
Radiation protection and safety in medicine need to keep up with new and upcoming developments in radiological imaging, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy.
The latest research shows that about 4.2 billion diagnostic imaging procedures are performed every year, and this number continues to grow. In addition, an estimated 6.2 million courses of radiation therapy treatment are performed annually, while medical radiation technology and procedures continue to be developed, including AI and automated systems.
The conference, co-sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, will convene 600+ experts to examine trends and challenges in the field including radiation protection of patients and staff in various diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and in interventional procedures, learning from unnecessary, unintended and accidental exposures in medicine, strengthening radiation safety culture in healthcare and more.
Together, they will create a vision for the future through A Call to Action – grounded in the 2012 Bonn Call for Action – to further enhance global radiation protection of patients and medical workers against harmful effects of ionizing radiation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will open the Conference at 10:30 CET on 8 December. More information, including the list of speakers and detailed programme, are available online.
The Conference will feature poster presentations on latest research in various specializations and exhibition booths.
For those interested in interviewing speakers, please send detailed requests to the IAEA Press Office.
Accreditation
All journalists interested in covering the meeting in person — including those with permanent accreditation — are requested to inform the IAEA Press Office of their plans.
Journalists without permanent accreditation must send copies of their passport and press ID to the IAEA Press Office by 14:00 CET on Thursday, 4 December.
We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation to request it at UNIS Vienna.
Please plan your arrival to allow sufficient time to pass through the VIC security check.
To keep abreast of the IAEA’s latest developments, follow the IAEA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Weibo.
To keep abreast of the IAEA’s latest developments in radiation protection of patients, follow relevant activities on Facebook.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
(As prepared for delivery)
Distinguished delegates, colleagues and friends,
Writers and futurists have long echoed Alvin and Heidi Toffler’s idea that “the future arrives too fast…and in the wrong order.” Today, we know, the speed is exponential.
Two forces are reshaping humanity’s horizon at an unprecedented pace: the rise of artificial intelligence and the global transition towards clean, reliable energy. The world’s energy map is being redrawn before our eyes.
The essential point, our opportunity and our responsibility, is that these forces are not unfolding separately. They are converging and redefining the new global economy.
We can now say with clarity: the AI revolution, through its scale and speed, was always going to choose nuclear energy as a partner. The only question was “when?”. Today, we know that the answer is “now.”
Let me explain why this partnership was inevitable and what it means for every region, every nation, and every person.
Why AI was destined to turn to nuclear energy
All major technological breakthroughs have been linked to new energy backbones: steam engines to coal, electrification to hydro and fossil fuels, digitalisation to gas and renewables, and now AI to clean, uninterrupted power.
AI’s demand for energy is intersecting with two other key global forces: the drive for energy security and the drive to meet environmental and climate goals. These three trends reinforce each other, and together they are determining investments, policies and geopolitics.
Artificial intelligence astonishes us. But beneath the elegant algorithms lies a simple truth:
AI runs on vast, uninterrupted quantities of electricity.
Training a frontier AI model requires tens of thousands of GPUs running continuously for weeks or months. Everyday use is spreading into hospitals, public administration, transport, agriculture, logistics, and education. Each query, each simulation, each recommendation consumes power.
And not just any power: power that never stops.
Customers want AI to be fast and always available. Investors want new and better data products. Innovation requires a lot of computing power. Providing what customers and investors want is an existential assignment for any corporation. In technology, the demand and the competition are hyperscale and hyperfast.
There is only one energy source that can meet combined demands of low-carbon generation, 24/7 reliability, massive power density, grid stability and genuine scalability: nuclear energy.
This is why I call it not just a partnership, but a structural alliance: “Atoms for Algorithms.”
A two-way partnership
Artificial intelligence is not only powered by nuclear energy, it’s also improving it.
Let me list 4 areas:
In nuclear power operations, AI supports predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and optimization of thermal performance.
In design, it supports accelerated reactor modelling, fuel-cycle simulation, and materials development.
In safety, AI supports accident simulation, response analysis, and the development of emergency procedures.
And in safeguards it provides analysis of hours of surveillance footage, satellite imagery, and offers important pattern recognition tools.
This is happening right now in IAEA laboratories and across our work with Member States on all continents.
Reassuringly, despite its brilliance, AI still needs a human to make sure it is right and impartial, and to understand the politics behind a safeguards footnote.
And it requires humans to make sure it has the energy it needs, wherever in the world it operates.
Data centres and their energy needs
AI may live in the cloud, but it runs on electricity.
Across the world, data centres consume more than 400 TWh of electricity each year. As their number grows at unprecedented rates of 20 to 30%, their total energy consumption is expected to more than double to nearly 1000 TWh per year. That’s as much electricity as is needed to power a G7 country.
We have a huge opportunity to make sure our digital future runs on clean energy. This is where Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) become especially relevant. They work particularly well for data centres because they are designed to be built in segmental units, making phased deployment possible. As an AI cluster expands, so can its nuclear power source.
The smaller footprint of SMRs and their enhanced safety systems mean they can operate close to industrial zones, including data-centre campuses. With SMRs, tech companies can avoid dependence on constrained regional electricity grids and reduce transmission losses. This becomes decisive in places where grid upgrades are slow, and interconnection queues already stretch far into the future.
SMRs need to get from the development stage to the international market fast and safely. The IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative has been working with regulators and industry to get it done.
Around the world, more than 30 newcomer countries are looking to introduce nuclear energy, including SMRs. The IAEA works with them. Many of these same countries are also exploring how AI can support their development and economic modernization. The two go hand in hand.
The IAEA helps countries map out their energy future, using proven planning tools and decades of experience. In my travels, leaders everywhere talk about their long-term strategies for energy and economic growth; again and again, nuclear energy and AI are raised in the same sentence.
Today, AI-driven data centres are concentrated in a limited number of hubs. But that map is changing. A rapid global response to the surge in AI and cloud computing could see as much as 7 trillion dollars spent on data centres around the world by 2030. New digital corridors will emerge, including in Asia, Latin America and Africa. All of them will require reliable energy sources. And all of them will require local knowledge, trusted partners, and long-term cooperation focused on technology and economic growth.
AI in industrialised economies
The United States has more nuclear power plants than any other country and is working actively to triple capacity. It holds a leadership position in the development of artificial intelligence, hosting nearly 45% of the world’s data centres and more than half of all hyperscale facilities.
In Canada, rising investment in data centres is happening alongside the major refurbishment of existing nuclear power plants.
Europe has some of the world’s densest digital corridors, with hubs in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London. In Germany, Frankfurt hosts one of the largest internet exchange points by peak traffic. Italy’s hubs of Milan and Turin are poised to grow.
Nuclear energy still provides about half the EU’s low-carbon power. Existing leaders like France and the UK are doubling down on nuclear, and newcomers like Poland are making fast progress in joining the club.
Russia has a skilled research base in mathematics and computer science working on AI, and in nuclear energy it remains the world’s largest exporter, as well as a leading operator and developer of advanced reactor technologies.
China has bet on AI and on nuclear energy, with remarkable success. Its rapid advances in AI development and the construction of AI-focused data centres are happening as more nuclear-reactors are being built in China than anywhere else.
As Japan turns once-again to nuclear energy, it is investing heavily also in building and upgrading data centres to meet rising demand.
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is one of the most recent countries to build a successful nuclear energy programme and is a leading regional AI hub. Saudi Arabia is considering introducing nuclear energy and is also investing heavily in AI.
Israel is among technology leaders, with strong entrepreneurial community.
AI’s potential in Asia
Singapore is hub of connectivity, while South Korea is advanced in AI and nuclear energy.
Elsewhere in Asia there is enormous potential: countries including India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and the Philippines represent some of the fastest-growing markets for data-centre investment. Booming internet adoption and rapid digitalization are pushing infrastructure to keep pace.
If these countries align digital growth with firm, clean power, including SMRs, they will build some of the world’s most sustainable AI corridors.
AI in Latin America
In Latin America, countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Colombia are emerging as important markets for AI and cloud services. This is driven by expanding digital economies and rising demand for data-centre infrastructure.
Argentina has the opportunity to scale digital capabilities alongside its established nuclear-energy programme and its development of small modular reactors.
As a whole, the region provides the chance to build a sustainable and resilient digital ecosystem with clean, reliable power as a stabilizing foundation.
Africa’s digital leap
Africa stands poised for a digital leap. Its internet adoption is growing several times faster than the global average, but the continent still hosts less than one percent of global data-centre capacity.
Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa are emerging as digital hubs. South Africa alone provides more than half of Africa’s data-centre capacity.
Governments across the continent are determined to expand reliable electricity to more than 600 million people without access.
A growing number of countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia, are exploring both conventional and modular nuclear power.
By harnessing clean, dependable energy, Africa has the opportunity to build a resilient, scalable digital presence that can support its rapidly expanding economies and populations.
Across these regions, the IAEA steadfastly supports the growth of economies. We help countries examine their readiness to introduce or expand nuclear power programmes. Our review missions cover everything from legal and regulatory requirements to the state of the power grid and human resources.
The Role of the IAEA
As nuclear energy and AI converge, we are facilitating the safe integration of AI into nuclear operations. Digital resilience, regulatory capacity and a common scientific base are key.
Equally, we are accelerating nuclear energy deployment. The IAEA has deep experience across the full spectrum of technologies, from large reactors and SMRs, to AI applications.
The IAEA is the bridge to helping AI grow with the safe companion of nuclear energy. We are at the centre of the global nuclear safety standards system and support countries in building nuclear energy programmes through our Milestones Approach.
We help nations benefit from nuclear energy for electricity, for desalination, for medical research, and for radiotherapy care, to name but a few examples. This requires close collaboration with governments, regulators, academia, industry and local communities. More and more, we are poised to help nations benefit from nuclear energy for AI.
We have created pioneering partnerships with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and are in the process of doing the same with other regional development banks. Together we help countries meet their economic ambitions.
Ensuring success requires not only financing, but also the policies, expertise and safeguards that make investment sound, sustainable and trustworthy.
As the Spanish poet Antonio Machado said: “We make the path by walking.”
The Agency walks with every nation.
Atoms for Algorithms
Over the coming two days, you will have the chance to walk together and to discuss how to make this alliance – Atoms for Algorithms – happen. It is why we have assembled this outstanding group of representatives from every corner of the fields of AI, nuclear energy and beyond.
The interest in being part of this Symposium, here in person and online, is immense – representatives of 252 different organizations are registered: 23 nuclear operators; 13 State corporations; 13 AI and technology companies; 25 nuclear suppliers; 11 SMR and advanced reactor developers; 8 national laboratories; 19 research institutions; 28 universities; 29 regulatory bodies; 15 government agencies and ministries; 5 intergovernmental organizations; 10 industry associations, 8 NGOs; 21 consulting and engineering firms; 7 waste management and decommissioning companies; 7 financial and legal firms; and that still leaves 10 in other categories.
I encourage you to talk to each other openly, continue the dialogue when you return home, collaborate across borders and disciplines, and come back to report on how you have transformed ideas into real progress.
Through the ideas and expertise you share this week, the IAEA will develop a framework and concrete action plans together with experts from both the AI and nuclear fields.
Our goal is to deliver tangible and coordinated outcomes that do two things: 1. advance clean energy solutions for AI and data centres; and 2. improve performance and accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy technologies.
We will make it happen by using the many avenues we’ve already built delivering the IAEA’s “Atoms for Peace and Development” mission, and by establishing partnerships with you, with our Member States, and with other key stakeholders.
I would like to thank the US, Japan and the other contributors who have supported this Symposium.
In closing, I promise you: the IAEA will stay ahead of the curve. We will support you, create opportunities, and remain an impartial, technical, ever-innovating global asset that serves the international community and you.
Let’s work for a future where AI expands human creativity, data centres run on clean, reliable power, nuclear anchors a sustainable digital age, and every region benefits.
If we get this right, we will shape a century worthy of our highest aspirations.
As Niels Bohr is said to have quipped: “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.”
Then, let’s not predict the future, let’s build it.
If we succeed, one day, in whatever language AI invents, it will say this: “They understood the challenge and they did what was needed.”
Thank you.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Monika Shifotoka, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the opening session of the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy (Photo: H.Shaffer).
Global energy and technology leaders are gathering this week at IAEA headquarters in Vienna for the first ever International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Nuclear Energy. The two-day event is bringing together senior representatives from government ministries, international organizations, the nuclear industry and major tech firms — including OpenAI, Google and Oracle — to discuss how nuclear energy can help meet the surging electricity demand of AI data centres, and how AI can support nuclear technology development.
The two-day event kicked off today and the programme and livestream are available on the IAEA website.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said at the opening ceremony:
“Two forces are reshaping humanity’s horizon at an unprecedented pace: the rise of artificial intelligence and the global transition towards clean, reliable energy. The world’s energy map is being redrawn before our eyes. “The essential point, our opportunity and our responsibility, is that these forces are not unfolding separately. They are converging and redefining the new global economy.”
He added that nuclear energy is the only source capable of low-carbon generation, round-the-clock reliability, high power density, grid stability and scalability. He described the link between nuclear and AI as structural alliance of “Atoms for Algorithms.”
According to the International Energy Agency, data centres accounted for 1.5% of worldwide electricity demand in 2024 – a figure that could double by 2030.
Nuclear power, with its ability to deliver reliable, low-carbon electricity, is increasingly seen as a solution to meet this demand. At the same time, AI offers powerful tools to optimize reactor performance, streamline construction and enhance operational efficiency — enabling nuclear energy to reach its full potential while maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and safeguards.
The symposium will provide a venue to build partnerships and develop recommendations for a framework of cooperation between the AI and nuclear sectors with IAEA support. It will delve into opportunities offered by AI and nuclear energy, supporting global efforts toward clean, reliable and sustainable energy by connecting diverse stakeholders.
On Wednesday, the IAEA also signed an agreement with Atomic Canyon — a technology company developing AI-powered solutions for the nuclear energy sector. Under this pact, the IAEA and Atomic Canyon will explore opportunities for collaboration and evaluate a proof of concept to lay the groundwork for AI solutions in nuclear information management.
AI has the potential to transform the nuclear power industry, but success depends on one critical factor: data. High-quality, accessible, shareable and secure datasets are essential for designing, training, and validating AI applications. Without robust data governance and industry-wide collaboration, progress could slow or stall.
At the symposium, leaders from the nuclear and AI sectors will have the opportunity to interface with nuclear regulators from around the world. Side events include a session by the IAEA’s ISOP AI for Nuclear Power Working Group, which will highlight collaborative approaches to advancing AI innovation in operating plants. The more detailed, technical content of the side events will complement strategic discussions held during the Symposium’s five panels.
Follow updates about the conference here and on the IAEA social media channels: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads.
