Artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as a central theme at Safety 2024 in Denver, CO, sparking conversation across concurrent sessions and informal networking events. AI adoption is moving fast. What started as something many of us were just dabbling in has quickly become a major force in business operations. It is very clear that AI is something we cannot ignore.
In a 2023 article, AI expert and Harvard professor Karim Lakhani stated, “AI is not going to replace humans, but humans with AI are going to replace humans without AI.” While many occupational environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals have expressed concern with what AI would do to the world of safety and health, most have come to realize that it is truly an amazing advancement that needs our attention. AI may not be able to replace safety professionals, but it can be an effective copilot in our mission to prevent workplace injuries and save lives.
ASSP is committed to serving as a trusted advisor regarding AI and the questions our members are asking. That is why we are investing resources to understand how AI is shaping the future work of EHS professionals. Our AI Task Force recently presented its findings to the Board of Directors and top EHS leaders during the Executive Safety Forum held at Safety 2025. Key takeaways included responsible integration of AI in EHS, competency, development and ethical leadership. ASSP staff are finalizing implementation plans, which will be shared in the near future. A special thanks to all AI Task Force members for their work on this very important project including Saif Ahmad, Richard Barker, Ronald “Chet” Brandon, Christina Brundage, Andrew Chrostowski, Marla Corson, Brittany DeRafelo, Arianna Howard, Boris Kiprovski, Natasha Porter, Tom West, Zhenyu Zhang and chair Stephanie Johnson.
One of ASSP’s first applications of AI was unveiled at Safety 2025 with the introduction of an exciting new tool, ASSP Safety Trekr AI, which enhances the value of the 1,330-page, 6.3-lb Safety Professionals Handbook. Handbook purchasers now have access to Safety Trekr AI, which allows users to quickly ask questions related to book content and receive instant citation-supported answers. With this tool, users can easily access a wealth of information, anywhere and anytime, in just a fraction of the time it would take to search manually. In addition, the tool can also create quizzes, summaries and other useful resources based on the handbook’s content.
At my first job, my boss used to lug around an oversized “mobile” phone. It would be about another decade when cell phones became widespread and yet another 5 years after that for smartphones to reach the same popularity. Early warnings and fears around this new technology included distractions leading to incidents, interference with equipment, reduced productivity and security risks. Eventually, employers realized that mobile phones were permanent and began finding ways to integrate them into the workplace. Much like AI today, there was no putting the genie back in the bottle. Smartphones evolved into important safety tools used for real-time reporting, hazard identification and delivering training, including microlearning and lone-worker protection. Related technology such as QR codes, near-field communication tags and augmented reality overlays now work with smartphones to enhance training and communication, wayfinding and emergency response. Today, it is hard to imagine a workday without mobile phone technology.
From skeptical adopters to AI evangelists, it is clear that AI is here to stay, just like the mobile phone before it. An article from the Kellogg School of Management advises that people should focus on working “in conjunction with AI rather than in competing against it” (Hampole et al., 2023). It is important for EHS professionals to continuously upgrade their skills through professional development and help employers learn how to embrace AI. This benefits not only EHS, but also overall business operations. As always, ASSP is ready to support you on this journey.
References
Hampole, M., Papanikolaou, D., Schmidt, L. & Seegmiller, B. (2025, June 1). The AI tidal wave doesn’t have to drown workers. KelloggInsight. http://bit.ly/4efDDRX
Lakhani, K.R. (2023, Aug. 4). AI won’t replace humans—But humans with AI will replace humans without AI. Harvard Business Review. http://bit.ly/4neKPlt