SCSC Talk: Bootstrapping Safety Assurance

Bootstrapping Safety Assurance

Abstract:
The expense and general impracticability of doing enough real-world
testing to demonstrate safety for autonomous systems motivates finding
some sort of shortcut. A bootstrapped testing approach is often
proposed, using evidence from initial mishap-free testing to argue that
continued testing is safe enough. In this talk I’ll explain why pure
bootstrapping based on testing exposure as well as arguments involving
“probably perfect” bootstrapping expose public road users to undue risk.
Moreover, phased deployments often used to argue safe update release
have the same problem. An approach that bootstraps on the safety case
rather than on vehicle testing is proposed as a potentially better
alternative. While the examples given involve autonomous ground
vehicles, the principles involved apply to any argument that safety will
be demonstrated via a bootstrap testing process.

This talk was recorded as part of the SCSC Future of Testing for Safety-Critical Systems seminar on Dec. 1, 2022.

Free public-access copy of slides here: