The AI boom has thus far been characterized by the increasing demand for chips and cloud infrastructure, but the latest collaboration between Microsoft Corp (MSFT  ) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA  ) is set to push the narrative of this boom to the next level: nuclear energy.

The collaboration between the two companies is set to leverage the power of AI in the nuclear energy sector through the digitization of nuclear reactor designs, permits, and operations using AI technology and the Azure cloud infrastructure. This has the potential to transform one of the world's slowest-moving sectors into a scalable and data-driven sector.

For ETF investors, this has the potential to create a compelling second-order trade on the AI boom.

AI's Next Bottleneck: Power, Not Chips

If the technology is able to speed up the process of nuclear energy development and deployment, then this sector has the potential to become the backbone of powering energy-intensive data centers. That, in turn, positions nuclear and uranium-focused ETFs as indirect beneficiaries of this phase of the AI boom, extending the trade well beyond semiconductor-focused funds.

The Global X Uranium ETF (URA  ) and the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM  ) are two ETFs that have concentrated exposure to uranium miners like Cameco Corp. (CCJ  ) and Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC  ).

Meanwhile, the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NLR  ) offers a diversified strategy by combining uranium mining stocks with those of nuclear infrastructure and engineering companies- potentially benefiting from two sources of tailwinds.

The implications of these advancements will also reverberate into next-generation reactor technology. Companies such as Oklo Inc (OKLO  ) and NuScale Power (SMR  ), focusing on small modular reactor technology, could also benefit from faster simulation, validation, and approval cycles enabled by AI.

These companies will eventually enter commercialization; in such an event, an ETF focused on next-generation nuclear ecosystems, such as the Range Nuclear Renaissance Index ETF (NUKZ  ) and NLR, could attract new investment interest.

Beyond Uranium: The Broader ETF Ripple Effect

Furthermore, in addition to pure-play nuclear ETFs, the ripple effect could also boost other industrial- and clean-energy-related ETFs, such as iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA  ) and iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN  ). Firms tied to grid infrastructure, engineering, and high-performance computing-many already integrated into Nvidia's ecosystem-stand to benefit as nuclear projects become more viable and scalable.

Should Microsoft and Nvidia succeed in making nuclear development as predictable and iterative as software engineering, the investment thesis in nuclear could change significantly. What was once considered capital-intensive and uncertain could become modular, auditable, and attractive to institutional investment. For ETF investors, this represents a new phase in the AI trade, where the real investment thesis is not in computing power but in the energy sources powering those computers.