AI safety is the field that works to stop AI systems from causing harm. That harm can come from accidents, from people misusing a tool for fraud or abuse, or from behavior nobody intended. The field also looks ahead to risks from more capable AI systems in the future. Here is an everyday example: a chatbot confidently tells a client the wrong deadline for a benefits application. That is an AI safety problem, even though nobody attacked the tool.
AI safety is related to AI security, and the two overlap. You will often see it discussed alongside alignment and responsible AI.
Why it matters
Your organization may use AI tools to answer questions, draft letters or sort requests. If so, the most common safety risk is wrong or harmful output reaching the people you serve. Have a person check anything that goes out under your name, especially advice about health, money or legal matters. When you compare vendors, ask what they do to stop their tool from producing harmful answers. Also ask how they handle reports when it does. Our guide What is AI safety? covers the topic in more depth.
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