Westinghouse Demonstrated AI Tool for Reactor Construction

The system processes construction data to optimize project schedules and reduce risk for AP1000 reactors.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Bold flat-color editorial illustration featuring a geometric steel reactor containment segment, evoking institutional precision in nuclear construction. — Westinghouse Electric Co. unveiled an AI-powered construction management system designed to streamline the deployment of AP1000 nuclear reactors in the United States. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you trust artificial intelligence to safely manage critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants?

Westinghouse Electric Co. demonstrated an AI-driven construction management system in November 2025 to streamline the development of AP1000 reactors. This research-stage platform integrates extensive project data to facilitate real-time schedule adjustments while maintaining safety compliance.

Why it matters

By applying AI to complex nuclear infrastructure, Westinghouse aims to mitigate the high costs and schedule volatility associated with reactor deployment. The system addresses the sector-wide challenge of integrating advanced analytics into strictly regulated construction environments.

The system utilizes thousands of disparate construction data points to generate real-time schedule adjustments for nuclear builds. This represents an evolution from the company's prior HiVE system and bertha AI assistant demonstrated in September 2024.

The players

Westinghouse Electric Co.

A major nuclear power company that designs AP1000 reactors and develops AI integration tools for energy infrastructure.

Dr. Lou Martinez Sancho

The Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse Electric Co. who serves on the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform.

The details

The system functions by aggregating thousands of construction metrics to identify bottlenecks and optimize workflows during the deployment of AP1000 reactors. Designers focused on embedding these AI models within the stringent safety and regulatory frameworks required for nuclear power plant construction. This approach allows project managers to simulate outcomes and adjust project timelines dynamically based on the influx of site-specific construction data.

September 2024: HiVE and bertha AI assistant were demonstrated in London.
July 15, 2025: An AI proof of concept was demonstrated at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.
November 2025: A second-generation construction tool was demonstrated.

The Tech Race

This project builds on the research trajectory supported by the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform to modernize nuclear engineering. It marks a shift toward integrating digital-first intelligence into capital-intensive energy projects long dominated by manual oversight.

This technology is currently in the research and demonstration phase and does not yet affect individual consumers or utility pricing. Its adoption will primarily change the project management workflows for large-scale energy infrastructure firms and nuclear engineering contractors.

The takeaway

Westinghouse continues to refine its construction analytics suite to lower the high barrier to entry for new nuclear builds. Observers should monitor the 2026 POWER Executive Leadership Award, where CTO Lou Martinez Sancho is a finalist, for updates on the platform's deployment roadmap.