Intersec panel discussion spotlights AI use in frontline risk decisions
Iain Hoey
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Intersec discussion examines AI in safety-critical operations
Senior government and industry leaders at Intersec discussed how artificial intelligence is moving into everyday frontline operations in safety-critical environments.
The session, titled “AI & Safety 4.0: Rethinking Human Risk,” focused on how AI is being used in safety practices, ethical decision-making and risk management culture.
Panellists said AI tools should enhance human responsibility and leadership in safety-critical settings.
Accountability, trust and risks from reduced manual checks
Panellists described current uses of AI including predictive analytics, identifying risk patterns and triggering early warnings in complex operations.
Dr Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi said: “We delegate responsibility, but we do not delegate accountability.
“So, the employer, anybody who engages with AI or uses AI, continues to carry the accountability.”
Speakers referenced refinery cases where AI-based predictive tools were followed by a drop in manual inspections, raising concerns about over-reliance on technology and new blind spots in safety systems.
Dr Islam Adra said: “When you put ‘trust’ and ‘AI’ in the same sentence, it’s kind of an oxymoron.
“There’s a contradiction there, because AI has done a very good job building a [very] bad reputation.
“When we think of AI, especially in the workplace, we think of surveillance, we think of control, we think of monitoring, and even the replacement of workers.”
The panel was moderated by Isaac Ochulor and also included Hari Kumar Polavarapu.
The speakers urged boards and executives across the region to integrate AI into their safety strategy, treating it as part of wider safety management.
The session formed part of the Intersec Health & Safety Conference 2026, powered by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
