Lloyd’s Register (LR) is set to become one of the first maritime organizations to integrate generative AI for permitting, utilizing Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to bridge the gap between terrestrial and maritime applications. This initiative aims to enhance the regulatory process for nuclear technology, supporting the deployment of nuclear power in maritime contexts.
Azure’s generative AI analyzes historical nuclear licensing data, enabling licensing engineers to draft new permitting documents more efficiently, ready for review and improvement. The technology can also rapidly search extensive regulatory datasets for relevant regulations, precedents, and other critical information.
This technology provides a faster and more cost-effective path through the regulatory landscape — a key factor in making nuclear energy a viable clean energy solution.
Mark Tipping, LR’s Global Offshore Power To X Director, who leads the nuclear technology efforts, explained, “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.”
According to Tipping, “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.” The collaboration was driven by LR’s CTIO team.
Jeff Scott, Deputy Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at LR, who played a key role in partnering with Microsoft to explore AI’s potential in maritime nuclear regulation, stated, “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, Microsoft CVP, Energy & Resources Industry, added, “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.”
