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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.