TOKYO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has begun studying into artificial intelligence (AI) regarding nuclear forensics as precaution against possible terrorist attacks, JAEA officials said Tuesday.

The AI technology will be used in identifying the origin and characteristics of nuclear materials collected in the aftermath of nuclear terrorist acts, according to the agency.

"The speed and reliability for identifying nuclear matter will increase with the use of AI," JAEA researcher Yoshiki Kimura said Tuesday.

"We will work on its development and hope the technology can be utilized in measures against nuclear terrorist acts in the future," Kimura said.

So far, post-attack nuclear analysis has relied on researchers' abilities, but the JAEA hopes to use AI technology in the cross-check activity to expedite the forensics process, according to the agency.

With the help of such technology, the agency will be able to more efficiently determine at which facility and when the illicitly used nuclear materials were made.

The move came as concerns over measures against terrorism are high in Japan, and also due to the country's need to enhance security ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.