Artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented investment for massive data centers and an energy supply that can support its huge computational appetite, pushing companies and researchers to look for new, more reliable sources of electricity. One proposed answer to this emerging demand is a new wave of next generation nuclear power plants designed to operate more flexibly alongside digital infrastructure. These reactors are presented as a potential match for the constant, power hungry load of hyperscale artificial intelligence data centers.
The article highlights next generation nuclear power plants as a potential source of electricity for these facilities, noting that they could be cheaper to construct and safer to operate than their predecessors. This possibility is framed within a broader discussion of how the infrastructure that underpins artificial intelligence is changing, from the physical footprint of hyperscale data centers to the technologies that keep them running around the clock. The focus is on the intersection of energy innovation and computing infrastructure as both evolve to meet rising demand.
The conversation is part of a recorded roundtable featuring executive editor Amy Nordrum, senior climate reporter Casey Crownhart, and editor in chief Mat Honan, which was recorded on January 28, 2026. Their discussion connects hyperscale artificial intelligence data centers and next generation nuclear as two of the featured technologies on the MIT Technology Review 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026 list. Related coverage includes the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026 list itself, as well as deeper looks at next generation nuclear reactors and hyperscale artificial intelligence data centers.
