DNV has entered a strategic research partnership with the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California, Berkeley, to advance the safe and responsible development of embodied AI systems, such as those employed on autonomous vessels.
The collaboration will focus on methods to evaluate and improve the reliability of AI systems that operate in unpredictable, real-world environments. As part of the agreement, DNV will fund new AI research and establish a permanent researcher presence in Oakland from November 2025.
The joint research, led by Professor Murat Arcak, aims to create assurance tools for AI systems beyond their design stage – assessing how they behave under stress, uncertainty, and changing conditions.
While expected to build on DNV’s experience in maritime autonomy and other safety-critical industries, the work will also extend to robotics and aerial systems, developing techniques for stress-testing and risk evaluation to improve operational resilience before deployment.
“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.”
