What are small modular reactors, a new type of nuclear power plant sought to feed AI’s energy demand?

Workers examine an experimental small modular reactor at a research institute in China. Liu Kun/Xinhua via Getty Images)

As U.S. electricity demand rises and technology companies seek to build more and larger data centers to drive artificial intelligence systems, the main question arising is how to generate all that power.

According to the International Energy Agency, large-scale data centers around the world used about 460 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2022, a figure that analysts expect to continue rising years into the future.