DOGE goes nuclear: How trump invited silicon valley into America’s nuclear power regulator

Here's something that caught my attention — how the Trump administration quietly brought Silicon Valley into America's nuclear power scene. Last summer, a small group of officials gathered at Idaho's National Laboratory, a place with a long history in nuclear innovation. Now, the fascinating part? A 31-year-old lawyer named Seth Cohen, fresh out of law school and connected to Elon Musk’s team, was leading the conversation. According to Avi Asher-Schapiro writing in Ars Technica, Cohen downplayed serious health concerns as he pushed to fast-track reactor designs, even interrupting when staff raised radiation risks. What this signals is a major shift — more emphasis on innovation, less on safety hurdles. And get this — Cohen's background isn’t in nuclear science, but in tech and law, which shows how Silicon Valley’s influence is reshaping regulation. So, the big question now — is this a bold leap forward or a risky gamble with public safety? As Asher-Schapiro points out, it’s a move that could redefine how we approach nuclear energy in the U.S., for better or worse.