Machine Learning for Safety-Critical Applications: Opportunities, Challenges, and a Research Agenda - Softcover

National Academies Of Sciences, Engineering, And Medicine; Division On Engineering And Physical Sciences; Computer Science And Telecommunications Board; Committee On Using Machine Learning In Safety-Critical Applications: Setting A Research Agenda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0309726662 ISBN 13: 9780309726665

Publisher: National Academies Press, 2026

Synopsis

Advances in artificial intelligence, and specifically in machine learning, are enabling new capabilities across nearly every sector of the economy. Many of these applications - such as automated vehicles, the power grid, or surgical robots - are safety critical: where malfunctions can result in harm to people, the environment, or property. While machine learning is already being deployed to enhance the capabilities of some physical systems, extending the rigorous practices of safety engineering to include machine learning components brings significant challenges.

Machine Learning for Safety-Critical Applications explores ways to safely integrate machine learning into physical systems and presents research priorities for improving safety, testing, and evaluation. This report finds that designing machine learning algorithms in a way that aligns with safety engineering standards will require changes in research, training, and engineering practice - as well as a shift away from focusing on algorithmic performance in isolation.

Edition details

• Publisher: National Academies Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0309726662
• ISBN 13: 9780309726665
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 82