AI Turns Safety Observations Into Action

A majority of safety leaders, 84%, have expanded AI adoption as a top priority over the next two years.

This is according to a new survey, Safety Management and Sustainability Trends Report: AI’s Transformative Impact on Safety and Sustainability Over The Next Two Years, from Quentic, a solutions provider and Verdandix. 

“This year’s findings show that AI belongs in daily safety and ESG work where it saves time, strengthens investigations, and turns observations into action," said Florian Lichtwald, operating partner, Quentic, in a statement.

Highlights from the survey include. What the data shows

AI climbs the agenda: 82% expect budgets to rise.

Automation where it matters: 45% are very likely to invest in AI-based reporting automation, signaling demand for faster, audit-ready outputs.

From pilots to practice: 57% of EHS leaders and 65% of sustainability leaders already use or pilot predictive analytics to spot patterns earlier.

Keep people in the loop: 70% of ESG and 52% of EHS leaders prefer co-pilot approaches that support staff while preserving human oversight.

Persistent gaps: Safety culture (61%) and risk visibility (57%) top the list of concerns, with regulatory and legal risk rated very important by 45%. Many (39%) say they are only “somewhat ready” on data and want better governance and integration.

“Continuous monitoring is essential because some contractors still take shortcuts or bypass permits, and organizations can no longer turn a blind eye to that,” said Hugh Maxwell, managing director, Maxwell Safety Limited, in a statement. “Digitalization and real-time data give you a much more dynamic approach, letting you see performance as it happens rather than relying on slow, manual steps. It is not policing, it is ensuring the job is done safely, consistently, and without exposing people to unnecessary risk.”

The findings point to a practical path forward of standardizing processes on a single platform, raising data quality, and applying AI where it removes paperwork and flags real risks sooner. 

“You do not want a black box approach,” said Mary Foley, Expert Services Strategy Director, Enhesa. “The way data is captured and used has to be transparent and robust, and able to stand up to scrutiny inside and outside the organization.”