Safety for AI-Enabled Consumer and Commercial Robots

Consumer and commercial robots increasingly operate in homes and public spaces, right alongside people. As artificial intelligence (AI) takes on more of their perception, decision-making and movement, these technologies can introduce new risks: harm from malfunction, misuse or unintended use, exposure to malicious attacks, data compromise and unintended outcomes from inadequate design or oversight. In robots that share physical space with people, these risks carry real consequences. UL 3115, the Outline of Investigation for Safety of AI-Based Products, provides a structured way to evaluate AI safety and ethical risks across the product life cycle, supporting safer behavior, more predictable outcomes and greater resilience against misuse and interference.

Because UL 3300, the Standard for Service, Communication, Information, Education and Entertainment (SCIEE) Robots covers the robot as a product and the UL 3115 OOI covers the AI driving its behavior, UL 3300 and UL 3115 are complementary rather than overlapping. As a horizontal framework, UL 3115 is  explicitly designed to be used alongside a vertical product safety standard such as UL 3300.

UL 3115 assesses AI design and operation across three pillars of consumer and commercial robotics: Technical (robustness, reliability, risk and quality management, and AI-based functional safety), Ethical (fairness, bias, data privacy and protection) and Governance (data handling, documentation and life cycle management), while also addressing control oversight, transparency and explainability.

Together, UL 3115 and UL 3300 close the gap a product standard alone can't cover: UL 3115 adds structured evaluation of AI-specific risks, such as malfunction, misuse, malicious attacks and data compromise, while reinforcing the predictable, trustworthy behavior essential for robots operating near people. Both can support eligibility for the UL Mark.

In short: UL 3300 assesses the safety of the robot as a product; UL 3115 evaluates the robot’s AI in terms of safety, ethical considerations and governance.

UL Solutions is a global leader in applied safety science with decades of experience evaluating complex technologies in regulated, safety-critical environments. For robotics, we combine UL 3115 AI safety evaluation with established robot standards like UL 3300 and ISO 13482, plus functional safety, EMC, cybersecurity and interoperability testing, backed by advisory, training and a global network of experts. As an independent third party, we bring the credibility, technical rigor and market recognition that help you deploy AI-enabled robots more safely and build lasting trust.