AI in nuclear energy market seen topping $9 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company says the artificial intelligence market for nuclear energy is set to exceed $9 billion by 2030, led by North America and the United States. The report points to predictive maintenance, safety systems and digital twins as the biggest growth drivers, while software remains the largest component segment.

Why it matters: - AI is moving from a pilot tool to a core operating layer for nuclear plants, with uses tied to safety, maintenance and performance. - The market’s growth signals more spending on digital systems inside a tightly regulated industry where reliability matters more than scale alone. - The report says the segment could exceed $9 billion by 2030, making AI a meaningful niche inside a much larger utilities market.

What happened: - The Business Research Company published its Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Energy Global Market Report 2026, covering market size, trends and forecast through 2035. - The report projects the AI in nuclear energy market will exceed $9 billion by 2030. - North America is forecast to be the largest regional market by 2030 at $4 billion, up from $2 billion in 2025. - The United States is projected to be the largest country market at $3 billion by 2030, rising from $1 billion in 2025. - The report puts the market’s compound annual growth rate at 19% through 2030.

The details: - Software is expected to be the largest component segment, with 38% of the market and about $3 billion in 2030 value. - The software category is growing on demand for AI analytics, predictive maintenance, digital twins and decision-support tools. - The market is split by deployment into cloud-based and on-premises solutions. - The technology stack includes machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, robotics and automation. - Core applications include asset management, reactor operation and control, fuel management, waste reduction, safety and security monitoring, radiation monitoring, dose management, and supply chain and project management. - End users include nuclear utilities and operators, EPC firms, OEMs and vendors, regulators, safety agencies, research institutions, national laboratories, service providers and third-party inspectors. - The report says software, hardware, services, data, APIs and middleware together could generate more than $5.4 billion in market value by 2030. - Between 2025 and 2030, software is projected to grow by $2 billion, while hardware, services and data each rise by $1 billion and APIs and middleware by $0.4 billion.

Between the lines: - The report frames predictive maintenance as one of the biggest demand drivers, adding about 1.5% to annual market growth. - Safety and risk management are another major driver, with AI-enabled monitoring and diagnostics expected to add about 1.2% annual growth. - Digitalization and automation across energy infrastructure are expected to add about 0.8% annual growth as nuclear plants connect more systems and analytics tools. - The market remains fragmented, with the top ten companies accounting for just 5% of revenue in 2025. - IBM Corporation led sales in 2025 with a 1% market share. - IBM’s AI and hybrid cloud portfolio is positioned around predictive analytics, digital twin modeling and data management for nuclear plants. - The report also highlights nuclear-focused large language models as a new trend, including NuclearN.ai’s SPARK-mini, launched in May 2024 as an open-access model for the nuclear power industry.

What's next: - More AI spending is expected to flow into plant monitoring, autonomous inspection, risk management and real-time operational intelligence. - Market leaders are likely to compete on predictive maintenance, digital twins, cloud-based monitoring and nuclear-specific AI models. - The report says companies are also leaning on strategic partnerships to speed deployment across nuclear operations. - Growth opportunities are expected across software, hardware, services, data and middleware as operators modernize aging facilities and build out advanced reactor projects.

The bottom line: - AI is becoming a practical upgrade path for nuclear energy operators, not just a research theme, and the next phase of growth appears centered on software-led tools that improve reliability, compliance and safety.