Lloyd’s Register (LR) is to become one of the first maritime organizations to use generative AI for permitting capabilities built upon Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. The capabilities are designed to enhance the regulatory process for nuclear technology and will be used by Lloyd’s Register to advance the deployment of nuclear in maritime applications.
AI-powered regulation
Azure’s generative AI capabilities work by analyzing historic nuclear licensing data and enabling licensing engineers to draft new permitting documents more quickly, ready for review and refinement. It can also quickly search for regulations, precedents and other valuable information buried in large regulatory datasets. According to the partners, the technology enables a faster and more cost-effective pathway through regulation.
Optimization operations
Mark Tipping, LR’s global offshore power to X director, who leads on nuclear technology, said, “We have a large data source from decades of regulatory applications which these AI capabilities can interrogate swiftly to identify good practice and lessons learned. Together, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges in deploying nuclear technology, which is navigating complex, slow and costly licensing processes. Collaborating with Microsoft provides us with an excellent opportunity to combine two very different areas of expertise, their AI capabilities and our vast history and knowledge of maritime and nuclear safety.”
This collaboration has been driven by LR‘s chief technology and innovation officer (CTIO) team. Jeff Scott, deputy chief technology and innovation officer, said, “Regulations shouldn’t be a roadblock to innovation – they should be a launchpad. By teaming up with Microsoft, we’re using AI to cut through the red tape and fast-track the future of nuclear in maritime. It’s an exciting step toward making clean energy a reality on the water.”
Darryl Willis, corporate vice president (CVP) of Microsoft’s energy and resources industry division, said, “This collaboration underscores our commitment to harnessing the power of AI to drive innovation and advance sustainability across sectors. By combining our AI expertise with Lloyd’s Register’s expertise in maritime and nuclear safety, we are paving the way to ease regulatory barriers and make sustainability more attainable for all industries.”
In related news, LR, AP Moller – Maersk (Maersk) and Core Power launched a joint regulatory assessment study to research the regulatory feasibility and frameworks that would need to be established for a nuclear container ship using a fourth-generation reactor noted for its high inherent safety to undertake cargo operations at a port in Europe. Click here to read the full story.