This undated file photo provided by the Nuclear Power Institute of China under China National Nuclear Corporation shows an interior view of the main power generation plant of Chaotan One in Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua)

Multiple members of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have actively made proposals focusing on the integrated development of the nuclear industry with artificial intelligence (AI), "going global" strategy and nuclear technology applications in a bid to drive the high-quality development in the sector.

Riding the wave of the digital economy, AI has emerged as a key engine driving the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. During this year's "two sessions", Han Yongjiang, a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC and president of Tsinghua Tongfang Co, a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corp, focused on the integrated development of "AI + nuclear technology."

The nuclear technology application industry must proactively embrace AI to reshape the underlying logic of industrial development so as to leap from "large-scale" to "strong," he said.

"The synergy between nuclear technology and AI is not a simple technological overlay, but rather reconstructs the underlying logic of nuclear technology applications through AI empowerment to achieve an overall leap in industrial capacity," Han said.

He noted that nuclear technology applications involve multiple disciplines, generate vast amounts of data and demand high precision - challenges that AI can effectively address. For example, in the field of nuclear medicine, AI can accelerate the research and development of radiopharmaceuticals, promote the integration of intelligent diagnosis, precise treatment, and telemedicine, and facilitate the popularization of nuclear medical resources in counties and hospital departments.

Han said that China's nuclear technology application industry has maintained an annual growth rate of 15-20 percent in recent years, with the compound annual growth rate of its output value reaching 15.6 percent from 2020 to 2024.

Lu Tiezhong, a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC and chairman of China National Nuclear Power Co, also called for boosting the comprehensive incorporation of nuclear energy into the green and low-carbon policy system.

He proposed conducting an integrated layout demonstration of wind power, solar power, hydropower and nuclear power, formulating a plan tailored to local conditions. Especially in the construction of bases in desert and Gobi, nuclear power should be utilized to stabilize the fluctuations of new energy, ensuring the precise matching between the scale of clean energy development and its consumption capacity.

Wang Mingtan, a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC and general manager of State Power Investment Corp, told the Global Times that in the field of nuclear power technology, China has already taken a leading position globally.

He noted that China has incorporated the principle of "actively, safely and orderly developing nuclear power" into legal documents and has also made arrangements in terms of new nuclear power technologies, adding, "The next phase will hold very promising prospects."