DNV and CITRIS at UC Berkeley launch strategic research collaboration to advance safe AI
Høvik, Norway, 30 October 2025 - DNV is expanding its global research footprint through a new partnership with the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California, Berkeley. The collaboration focuses on the safe and responsible use of embodied AI – intelligent systems that interact with the physical world, such as robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles.
With this partnership, DNV strengthens its commitment to one of the most urgent questions in technology today: how can we ensure that AI systems behave safely and reliably in real-world environments? As part of the agreement, DNV will fund research activities on safe and trustworthy embodied AI systems at UC Berkeley, and station a researcher from its strategic research and development unit in Oakland, starting November 2025.
The research, led by Professor Murat Arcak, aims to develop new ways to evaluate and improve the safety of AI systems that make decisions in unpredictable and fast-changing environments. While the technology is cutting-edge, the risks it introduces – such as ensuring safety and reliability – are familiar territory for DNV, which has decades of experience in high-stakes industries like maritime, energy, and healthcare.
Key areas of focus include:
- From Control to Assurance: Moving beyond designing safe systems, the research will develop tools to evaluate how well AI systems perform under stress, uncertainty, and unexpected conditions – after they’ve been built.
- From Maritime to Robotics and Drones: Building on earlier work in maritime autonomy, the research will extend to robotics and aerial systems, where faster time scales and three-dimensional dynamics introduce new challenges.
- Stress-Testing and Risk Evaluation: The collaboration will explore how to identify potential failure scenarios and improve resilience, helping industries make informed decisions before deploying AI systems in critical settings.
“Embodied AI presents unique challenges in safety and security due to its interaction with dynamic environments,” said Astrid Rusås Kristoffersen, Group Director of Research and Development at DNV. “Our partnership with CITRIS allows us to co-develop frameworks that ensure these systems operate reliably.”
Alexandre Bayen, Director of CITRIS, added: “This partnership brings together DNV's decades of expertise in safety assurance with CITRIS's commitment to developing technology solutions that benefit society. As embodied AI systems become more prevalent in our daily lives, ensuring they operate safely and reliably is not just a technical challenge – it's a societal imperative. We're excited to work alongside DNV to advance both the science and the practical frameworks needed for trustworthy AI deployment.”
Professor Murat Arcak of UC Berkeley emphasized the strategic value of the collaboration: “DNV and UC Berkeley share a strong record of collaboration. Our new partnership on AI safety is timely and strategic: DNV's long-standing experience in assuring safety across diverse industries will ground and sharpen our research for real-world impact amid the rapidly evolving AI landscape.”
This announcement follows DNV’s participation in the USA-Norway Business Summit, attended by H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon, where AI in healthcare and industry was a central theme. The timing underscores DNV’s strategic positioning in the evolving AI landscape and its commitment to shaping the future of safe and responsible technology.