Current status and development outlook of artificial intelligence safety and emergency in China

Abstract The Chinese government places high priority on artificial intelligence (AI) and safety emergency work. The integration of “artificial intelligence (AI) + safety systems engineering (SSE) + professional technology and management (PTM)” in talent, theory, methodology, and technology has accelerated the advancement of AI safety and emergency. The current coverage spans scenarios including “risk intelligence perception + automatic identification of hidden dangers (defects) + multimodal monitoring of disasters and accidents + intelligent safety emergency management and supervision + smart emergency decision-making and command”. This has formed an AI-driven safety emergency work development pattern characterized by “policy guidance + demand-driven innovation + technological competition + scenario orientation + ecosystem collaboration and competition”. However, the lack of comprehensive safety and emergency data, the existence of “information silos”, the shortage of professionals proficient in AI, SSE, and PTM, and the limitations of specialized AI safety emergency tools—such as their single-function nature, weak professional capabilities, and suboptimal performance—have to some extent constrained their development. China positions AI safety and emergency as a new productive force, with local governments at all levels and various sectors demonstrating strong enthusiasm for its development and application. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the Chinese government will continue implementing supportive, guiding, and regulatory policy measures to encourage innovation in AI-driven safety and emergency response technologies, promote their application, and foster industrial development. Multiple R&D teams possessing the theoretical knowledge and practical capabilities of “AI + SSE + PTM” are likely to emerge in this field. These teams will develop more specialized AI-driven safety and emergency tools and methodologies encompassing “people–machines–objects–methods–environment–management”. This will drive the widespread application of AI in scenarios such as safety risk management, disaster prevention and control, and emergency rescue. Consequently, the synergistic development of AI-driven safety and emergency work and artificial intelligence will be further accelerated.