Microsoft is considering going nuclear

Microsoft, one of the primary investors in ChatGPT maker OpenAI, is exploring the use of nuclear power to meet its growing electricity demands for artificial intelligence and supercomputing, reports the Wall Street Journal.

How?
It is actively pursuing AI-driven solutions in collaboration with Terra Praxis, a nonprofit working on repurposing old coal plants for new reactors, to automate routine tasks and accelerate the regulatory process. 

Large amounts of continuous electricity are required to run data centers and AI. For that, tech companies strain the power grid and contribute to carbon emissions. Microsoft is looking to reduce both by going nuclear.

The tech giant is experimenting with generative artificial intelligence to streamline the complex and costly US nuclear regulatory approval process.

It has already trained a large language model using nuclear regulatory and licensing documents to expedite the process and complete the paperwork involved in nuclear power approvals.

However, the high costs (for permission and construction process) and regulatory hurdles are major challenges in the widespread adoption of nuclear power.