Google and Westinghouse lean on AI to speed US nuclear plant builds

Google and atomic power biz Westinghouse Electric claim that AI will speed construction and cut the cost of building the new US power plants it is planning in response to rising demands for energy to fuel AI.

The pair announced back in July that they are working together to transform how nuclear reactors are constructed and optimize their operation. Now, they are showing off how the first of those works in practice.

Also back in July, Westinghouse disclosed plans to build ten additional large nuclear reactors in the US. Last month, the Trump administration backed it with an $80 billion deal to help fund those plans.

The problem, according to Westinghouse, is that atomic power plants have long and uncertain construction timelines, and the considerable build costs can easily run over budget. To make matters worse, there have been little or no new nuclear builds for at least a couple ...