Nuclear industry achieves milestone with first AI-powered safety inspection with Finnish technology
Finnish technology from Trueflaw used in groundbreaking automated analysis at Swedish reactor.
Martti Asikainen, 13.6.2025
The nuclear power industry has reached a significant technological milestone with the completion of its first artificial intelligence-powered safety inspection at Sweden’s Ringhals nuclear power plant, using cutting-edge Finnish AI technology.
The inspection, conducted on critical reactor pressure vessel components, marks the first time AI and machine learning have been deployed as part of a qualified inspection system in a nuclear facility’s mandatory periodic safety checks.
Finnish company Trueflaw developed the AI solution in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in the United States. The system was implemented by Swedish inspection firm Wesdyne, with qualification approval granted by the Swedish Qualification Centre.
Solving industry-wide inspection challenges
The breakthrough addresses a longstanding challenge in nuclear safety inspections. Critical components in nuclear power plants undergo regular non-destructive testing using ultrasonic inspection methods to detect potential damage such as cracks that may develop during operation. These inspections generate vast amounts of measurement data that traditionally required specialist engineers hours to analyse manually.
The AI-powered automated assessment works alongside human inspectors, significantly improving both efficiency and reliability. The artificial intelligence system filters through the data and flags areas that may contain incipient damage, which inspectors then evaluate to make final determinations. Tasks that previously took hours can now be completed in minutes.
“The assessment that used to take hours is now done in minutes,” the company explained in the press release. The technology also makes inspections more repeatable and reduces the risk of human error, whilst ensuring inspectors retain ultimate decision-making authority.
Meeting strict regulatory standards
Iikka Virkkunen, chief executive of Trueflaw, described the development as a crucial milestone. “AI is a reliable and valuable tool for non-destructive testing. The first use in a qualified inspection is an important milestone and shows that AI meets the strictest reliability and regulatory requirements,” he said.
Founded in 2001, Trueflaw initially focused on reliability assessment of crack inspections before evolving into what the company describes as the world’s leading supplier of AI assessment tools for non-destructive testing. The Espoo-based firm specialises in AI systems for non-destructive inspection across various industries.
The successful deployment at Ringhals demonstrates that artificial intelligence can meet the stringent safety and regulatory standards required for nuclear power applications, potentially paving the way for wider adoption of AI technologies in the nuclear industry’s safety procedures.
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