AI safety
AI safety refers to the practices and safeguards that ensure artificial intelligence systems operate reliably, ethically, and without causing harm to individuals or society.
What is AI safety?
AI safety focuses on designing, developing, and deploying artificial intelligence systems that behave predictably and align with human values and legal requirements. It addresses risks such as unintended bias, misinformation, or unsafe decision-making in automated processes. Organizations implement AI safety to protect users, preserve trust, and ensure responsible innovation. It is a core part of AI governance and often intersects with AI risk management and AI explainability.
Why AI safety matters
Prioritizing AI Safety helps organizations reduce ethical, operational, and reputational risks associated with unsafe AI behavior. It ensures that AI systems perform as intended, even in changing or complex environments, and maintain compliance with data protection and ethical standards.
The EU AI Act explicitly references AI Safety through its risk-based framework, requiring rigorous testing, monitoring, and documentation for high-risk AI systems. Similarly, standards such as ISO/IEC 42001:2023 outline management system requirements for AI governance and safety assurance.
A strong AI Safety program supports both compliance and innovation by fostering public trust, minimizing harm, and ensuring that AI technologies contribute positively to society.
How AI safety is used in practice
- Conducting safety testing for AI systems used in healthcare, finance, or autonomous operations.
- Integrating guardrails to prevent harmful outputs or unintended actions.
- Monitoring live AI systems for anomalies, misuse, or security threats.
- Documenting safety evaluations and mitigation steps for audits and regulators.
- Assessing third-party AI models for safety and compliance risks before deployment.
Related laws & standards
How OneTrust helps with AI safety
OneTrust helps organizations enhance AI safety by enabling:
- Configurable workflows to assess and monitor safety risks in AI systems
- Documentation and evidence management to support regulatory compliance
- Automation to align with EU AI Act and ISO/IEC 42001:2023 safety requirements
- Collaboration tools for privacy, risk, and engineering teams
- Continuous oversight to maintain accountability across the AI lifecycle
With OneTrust, teams can manage AI safety proactively, ensuring that AI systems remain ethical, compliant, and aligned with organizational and regulatory standards.
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FAQs about AI safety
AI safety focuses on preventing unintended harm or unsafe behaviors in AI systems, while AI security addresses protecting those systems from external attacks or misuse.
Responsibility typically spans data science, engineering, and compliance teams, with oversight from AI governance and risk management functions.
AI safety ensures high-risk systems undergo testing, documentation, and ongoing monitoring, aligning with the EU AI Act’s requirements for trustworthy and transparent AI.
