US university leads AI project to improve military's safety in nuclear environments

A collaborative project led by a New York–based university in partnership with a software company has been awarded a defence contract to develop advanced artificial intelligence for operational environments where radiation exposure leaves little margin for error.

The initiative, known as RADIANT (Radiation AI Decision and Information Assistant for Nuclear Tasks), combines AI with health physics to extract and interpret complex technical data with human-level contextual understanding. The system and its objectives were highlighted in an article published by NextGenDefense, a publication affiliated with The Defense Post.

Stony Brook University in New York, working alongside software firm Redshred, has secured a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop the technology.

Under the leadership of Principal Investigator Manoj Mahajan of Stony Brook University, the RADIANT project aims to merge advanced artificial intelligence with established health physics expertise to improve decision-making in radiologically hazardous environments. According to their own description, the tool is designed to function as an AI “health physicist companion,” providing clear, on-demand insights to support tactical units, strategic mission planning and nuclear inspection operations.

“RADIANT exemplifies the kind of high-impact innovation that emerges when academic research aligns with real-world operational needs,” said Michael Kinch, chief innovation officer at Stony Brook University. “Projects like this reflect our commitment to expanding both the breadth and depth of industry partnerships, particularly with Long Island and New York-based companies, to help accelerate their success while applying trusted AI and deep scientific expertise to complex, high-risk challenges.”

The award marks Stony Brook University’s first contract with DTRA in more than a decade and builds on an expanding track record of collaboration between the university and Redshred. The company is headquartered at Stony Brook’s Center of Excellence in Wireless Information and Technology (CEWIT), and the RADIANT initiative represents CEWIT’s first move into the field of nuclear and radiation health research.

The partnership has already seen success in other defence-related projects. In 2023, Mahajan and Redshred received a $1.8 million STTR Phase II contract from the U.S. Air Force for the AIRworthiness Model Automation for cerTification Evaluations (AIRMATE) system. That project supports the expansion of two of CEWIT’s strategic focus areas: medical technology and defence research.

At the core of RADIANT’s innovation is its ability to process and interpret dense, highly technical documentation from nuclear science and health physics. By enabling the system to “see” and understand information in a manner comparable to a trained human specialist, the technology is expected to significantly improve response times and accuracy in high-risk, time-sensitive scenarios.

By Nazrin Sadigova