CITHARA

Project objectives and goals

CIThARA aims to investigate and exploit the potential offered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance specific domains related to Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) for nuclear or radiological accidents and incidents. In particular, CIThARA aims to leverage AI for improving computational modelling systems and for promoting citizen participation through the integration and exploitation of citizens’ radiological measurements. CIThARA also aims to explore ways of increasing public trust in applications of AI in the process of nuclear or radiological EPR

CIThARA will leverage the potential offered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance specific sectors related to nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR), namely computational modelling systems and integration and exploitation of citizens’ radiological measurements, while also researching on the ethics and trust related to applications of AI in nuclear EPR.

The above will be achieved by developing fast modelling systems driven by state-of-the-art AI methodologies as surrogates of physicsbased atmospheric dispersion models (ADMs) covering all spatial scales and time phases relative to nuclear accidents, to achieve rapid predictions of radiological consequences due to radionuclides dispersion (air concentrations, ground deposition, radiation doses), fast localization and quantification of unknown sources of radionuclides emissions based on existing measurements and model results, and efficient inclusion of different types of uncertainties in the above modelling processes and results. CIThARA will also address limitations of currently used computational modules for application of countermeasures in the framework of Decision Support Systems. This will be achieved by developing AI-based solutions for rapid optimization of countermeasure strategies under complex conditions involving big data volumes, heterogeneous data, numerous influencing factors and multiple constraints with emphasis in the local / urban scale.

Furthermore, AI-based computational tools will be developed to enhance the quality of citizen-generated radiological measurement datasets and subsequently to demonstrate their added value and render feasible their integration with data from official environmental monitoring networks as well as their usage in the modelling systems developed in the project. Finally CIThARA will carry out research on ways to ensure ethical use of AI in nuclear EPR and enhance trust towards AI applications. This will include assessment of the way that design, validation and implementation of AI tools affect nuclear crisis management, identification and conceptualization of systemic risk scenarios related to ethical dilemmas and trust issues, and identification of the key conditions for the safe, transparent and ethical use of AI tools in nuclear crisis contexts.

 

Project coordinator

Dr. Spyridon Andronopoulos, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” – NCSRD, Institute for Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety, Greece