116: How Nuclear Can Power the AI Revolution Sustainably

Artificial Intelligence is fueling a surge in global electricity demand — with data centers emerging as one of the fastest-growing energy consumers. But can our current systems keep up sustainably?

In this final episode of the Mission Shunya nuclear energy series, I speak with Ruan Steyn, a nuclear energy expert, about the role nuclear power could play in supporting the AI revolution.

We discuss:
 ⚡ The scale of AI-driven energy demand and what it means for grids
 ☢️ Why nuclear is being revisited as a reliable, low-carbon option
 📊 The economics and scalability of nuclear compared with alternatives
 🌍 What it would take to align nuclear with sustainability goals

From data centers to decarbonization, this episode highlights how nuclear is increasingly being viewed not just as part of the clean energy transition, but as part of the digital transition too.

And a quick update before we close this series: Mission Shunya is now ranked among the top energy transition podcasts worldwide by Feedspot (see the list here)
A big thank you to all listeners for helping make this possible!

Follow Ruan Steyn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ruan-steyn

🎙 Hosted by Girish Shivakumar
📍 Mission Shunya — conversations towards the global zero carbon transition