A Review of Standards for Artificial Intelligence Compliance in Nuclear Instrumentation Control System

The use of industrial control systems (ICS) in the nuclear sector is widespread and is already considered one of the critical assets to evaluate in defining possible attack surfaces for malicious actors linked to crime or hostile nations. The risk of insider threats, both internal and related to equipment suppliers and the supply chain, is always high and must be monitored in dedicated manner with specific protocols, penetration tests and stress analysis. The typical approach to cybersecurity in IT (information technology) systems is not suitable for managing Operational Technology (OT) systems security. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) is certainly an additional tool for enhancing defense, but it can also be a tool for possible attacks and a risk for the nuclear system in its intimate control of critical process. In this paper, we intend to review and compare various relevant standards that offer deep and comparable rules on ICS and general issues pertaining to the use of AI in most systems contextualized in nuclear domains, what institutions and international organizations are doing to exploit its advantages, and highlight the possible risks, referred to standards and guidelines.