(11a) Enhancing Process Safety through Chatbots: Exploring Challenges and Potential

Faced with the ongoing challenges of knowledge transfer regarding process safety and reliable operation, industry is evaluating new tools to help supplement process knowledge gaps from training and staff turnover. One potential approach involved use of artificial intelligence tools, such as chatbot technology. Chatbots are computer-based programs that are designed to engage and simulate conversations with humans. Provided with a prompt, chatbots can answer questions, summarize information, create written works, or generate a variety of other outputs. This manuscript discusses the innovative fusion of chatbots and process safety through examining potential applications, practical implementations, risks, and benefits. First, an overview of chatbot technology will be provided that highlights how the technology works. Next, good practices for utilizing chatbots will be discussed to improve the quality and usefulness of the technology’s outputs. Then, case study examples will be presented that apply chatbots to process safety problems to illustrate the potential of the technology and its limitations. These examples will address various aspects of process safety management programs including hazard identification, process hazard analysis, compliance with standards, and incident investigation. Ultimately, this work attempts to highlight the potential complimentary role chatbot technology can play in enhancing the work of process safety professionals.