Inside UL Solutions: The Hidden Powerhouse Shaping Safety in AI and Electronics

UL Solutions, the company behind the ubiquitous UL safety mark on electronics, is evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing tech landscape. CEO Jennifer Scanlon shares insights on how UL is expanding its century-old mission of safety testing to include cutting-edge AI standards and navigating complex geopolitical tensions.

As AI technologies surge forward and consumer electronics flood the market, UL is pioneering new frameworks like UL 3115 to certify AI safety, while balancing the pressures of global supply chains, regulatory uncertainty, and the challenge of maintaining trust in an era of rapid innovation.

From Exploding Batteries to AI Safety: The Evolution of UL

UL Solutions began over 130 years ago as a fire safety testing organization for electrical products, helping insurance companies assess risk. Today, it employs 15,000 people worldwide who test everything from lithium-ion batteries to AI-powered devices. CEO Jennifer Scanlon describes the company’s work as breaking, blowing up, and lighting products on fire to ensure safety, including large-scale tests like igniting two million soda cans to study fire behavior.

The company’s mission has expanded to address new technologies such as AI embedded in consumer products and industrial systems. UL recently introduced UL 3115, a comprehensive standard designed to evaluate AI safety throughout a product’s lifecycle, focusing on transparency, fairness, privacy, and bias in AI models.

Navigating Complex Incentives: Who Demands Safety Certifications?

UL’s authority to enforce safety standards comes from a mix of insurance companies, governments, and industry customers who rely on certifications to reduce risk and build trust. For example, after a series of deadly e-bike battery fires in New York City, UL helped develop safety standards that were adopted into law, resulting in a 75% reduction in related deaths.

However, Scanlon acknowledges that many consumers prioritize price over certification, especially with the proliferation of inexpensive electronics on platforms like Amazon. UL combats counterfeit certifications and unsafe products through market surveillance and legal action, but the challenge of scaling enforcement remains significant.

• Insurance companies requiring UL certification for coverage
• Government regulations incorporating UL standards
• Industry customers seeking competitive parity through certification
• Consumer demand influenced by brand trust and safety awareness

The AI Safety Frontier: Challenges and Opportunities

UL’s new AI safety standard, UL 3115, addresses the unpredictable nature of AI by focusing on the processes and decisions made by developers rather than trying to test AI outputs directly. The standard includes over 200 criteria covering data quality, bias mitigation, transparency, and privacy.

Scanlon highlights the difficulty of engaging major AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, noting that while UL works with some hyperscalers and product manufacturers, broad industry adoption is still in early stages. She emphasizes the importance of third-party independent testing to build trust and prevent unsafe AI-powered products from reaching consumers.

“Innovation without safety is failure.”—Jennifer Scanlon, UL CEO

Global Politics and the Safety Ecosystem

UL’s global footprint includes significant operations in China, which has become a point of contention in US regulatory politics. The company was initially selected to lead the FCC’s Cyber Trust Mark program for IoT device security but stepped back after new administrative requirements and political concerns about ties to China emerged.

Scanlon stresses UL’s transparency and commitment to safety regardless of geography, underscoring the importance of international standards and cooperation to ensure product safety across global supply chains.

Looking Ahead: UL’s Vision for Safety in a Rapidly Changing World

UL Solutions aims to remain at the forefront of safety innovation, extending its expertise beyond traditional electrical safety to emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing. Scanlon envisions a future where safety standards evolve alongside innovation, supported by collaboration between industry, standards organizations, and governments.

She concludes with a call for collective action: “We’ve got to keep pushing this rock up the hill.” As technology accelerates, UL’s role in safeguarding consumers and industries will be more critical than ever.