Assuring the safe deployment of AI-enabled robotics in industrial contexts

The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS), in collaboration with Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy, has released a new briefing paper: ‘Assuring the safe deployment of AI-enabled robotics in industrial contexts.’

AI-enabled robotics is rapidly reshaping industrial operations, creating new opportunities for productivity, flexibility, and worker safety. But as robots become more autonomous and increasingly reliant on AI, organisations face a critical challenge: how to deploy these systems safely and responsibly.

This briefing paper introduces the “BIG” safety assurance framework – a Balanced, Integrated, and Grounded approach that combines ethics, system-level safety engineering, and AI assurance into a single safety case.

Drawing on expert input, the paper is intended to inform practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and technology developers interested in the safe deployment of AI-enabled robotics in industry.

Through real-world industrial examples, including autonomous factory vehicles and humanoid robots, the paper explores how organisations can manage the unique risks introduced by AI systems. It argues that safety assurance should not be treated as a barrier to innovation, but as a practical foundation for the responsible adoption of next-generation industrial robotics.

Authors

Richard Hawkins, University of York and John McDermid, University of York.

About the Global Initiative for Future Industrial Safety