NRC seeks research foundation for AI regulation in nuclear plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has finally noticed that AI is creeping into nuclear power plants, so they're doing what any self-respecting bureaucracy would do: commissioning a study. Their 'final solicitation' for a contract wants to build a 'research foundation' for AI regulation, because nothing says 'we have this under control' like outsourcing the thinking to a contractor. The NRC acknowledges 'growing use and cybersecurity risks,' which is wonderfully understated—like noting that the core is getting a bit warm while the alarms are screaming.

But let's savour the timeline. The solicitation is 'final,' meaning this has been gestating through layers of federal procurement while AI systems have been quietly infiltrating control rooms. Meanwhile, the NRC's idea of 'regulating AI' is presumably to ask a consultant to write a report that will sit on a shelf next to the last three reports on the same topic. Because if there's one thing the nuclear industry needs, it's more paperwork between the AI that might hallucinate a meltdown procedure and the human operator who's already distracted by an Excel spreadsheet.

And the cybersecurity angle is the real kicker. We're trusting AI with the same computers that run cooling pumps—what could possibly go wrong? But don't worry, the NRC is on the case! They're spending taxpayer money to 'lay the foundation' for future rules. By the time those rules arrive, the AI will have already written its own operating manual, and we'll all be living in a world where 'Three Mile Island 2.0' is a Netflix series, not a disaster drill.