AI and Autonomous Systems Safety (AISS)

In this course, we will address the safety of Autonomous Systems (AS) employing Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Designed for flexibility, this course can be taken on a stand-alone basis for continuing professional development (CPD) or can count towards the completion of a postgraduate award.

The course covers systems engineering and safety assurance for AS, including the use and assurance of AI for autonomy, decision support and to support the safety assurance process. It considers socio-technical issues around responsibility, human factors and human-autonomy teaming, and the development of an ethics case for AS projects.

We will discuss state of the art guidance on regulation and risk acceptance, and provide a framework for creating an appropriate AS safety case. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Identify and describe the disruptors - technical, engineering and social - to existing system safety engineering practices generated by autonomous systems.
• Describe and evaluate the implications for and changes required in safety assessment and assurance practices to accommodate autonomous systems and associated emerging technologies.
• Consistently and clearly communicate concepts and issues relating to autonomous systems engineering and safety.
• Identify the societal and regulatory impact of autonomous systems and implications for risk acceptance in a range of safety-critical domains.
• Demonstrate how to provide a compelling safety case for autonomous systems.

Course delivery

This course is taught in a blended format, comprising face-to-face sessions on campus and online learning. 

Face-to-face teaching will consist of three days of on campus teaching, taking place from Tuesday to Thursday of the teaching week at the University of York. The on-campus teaching will include lectures as well as extensive group exercises where you will have the opportunity to apply what you have learned through case studies.

You will also have 15 hours of self-study to complete in your own time. This includes preparatory work to finish before your on-campus sessions – which we’ll send on Friday 23 April 2027 – as well as materials to review afterward.

Assessment

Once you complete the taught element, you can opt to complete a coursework-based assessment.

The assessment is completed remotely, and is expected to take around 65 hours to complete including additional reading. The assessment for this course comprises of coursework and is compulsory for students who require the module to be credited towards a degree award.

Progression to postgraduate awards

This module can count as credit towards the following postgraduate awards, subject to eligibility criteria. 

• Safety Critical Systems Engineering (MSc)
• Safety Critical Systems Engineering (PGDip)
• Safety Critical Systems Engineering (PGCert)

If you pursue further study, you may be eligible to credit a portion of your current course fees toward your future tuition. 

For full details, please see the terms and conditions.

Book your place

Booking for this course closes on Friday 9 April 2027.

To secure your place, please complete the two-part process below. Please also ensure you have read our terms and conditions.