In an important checkpoint for the SAFEXPLAIN project, the project consortium met with an Industrial Advisory Board comprised of eight influential industry actors on 24 November 2023. At just over the one year point, this meeting sought to present the project´s objective and initial outcomes to key players in the field and to ensure alignment with industrial needs. Key feedback was provided on the project, which largely asserted the direction of the project and emphasized the industry-wide need for safely including AI in industrial processes.
The diverse Industrial Advisory Board included powerhouses: Parasoft, Pierer Innovation, CAF Signalling, Continental Romania, Renesas Electronics, Texas instruments, BMW, the European Space Agency (ESA). These stakeholders play a pivotal role in industrial research and development software, testing solutions, dependable computing, intelligent transport systems and functional safety for industry.
The morning event allowed industrial participants discuss their current concerns in the realm of AI in critical systems. These companies highlighted the challenges they face in building trust in AI product safety and in ensuring they are safety-compliant, and assessed how SAFEXPLAIN concepts and technologies tackle those challenges. The SAFEXPLAIN consortium outlined its efforts to accelerate deep learning adoption in critical embedded systems, covering explainable AI, the safety lifecycle of different industries, safety architecture and using case studies as a guide for end-user needs.
This first-year review with the Industrial Advisory Board underscores the SAFEXPLAIN project´s commitment to meeting industry needs, addressing specific requirements, and paving the way for the widespread adoption of AI technologies in critical systems. The project´s alignment with key industry players ensures that it remains at the forefront of developments, contributing significantly to the advancement of the European industrial sector.
SAFEXPLAIN´s overarching goal is to lay the foundation for safe and explainable critical systems based on AI. By enabling the use of AI, especially deep learning in these systems, the project helps position European industries advantageously in technologies that are crucial for autonomous or intelligent industries such as automotive, railway, space, avionics and industrial automation.