US-based Westinghouse has announced a partnership with Google Cloud to develop a custom AI-powered platform using specialised models that help optimise and accelerate the construction of nuclear power plants.

Google said in a statement that early pilots of the platform have shown significant time and cost savings, and the companies are also exploring ways for AI to help enhance nuclear operations and safety.

The core AI innovation targets the construction process, which historically represent 60% of reactor costs. Until recently, construction management relied on spreadsheets and paper documents, leading to delays that cascaded across thousands of interdependent tasks. But with AI, Westinghouse turned decades of documentation to its advantage.