AI in Maritime: Beyond the Hype - & How SafeNav Is Turning Vision into Reality
The maritime industry is standing on the edge of a transformation. Artificial Intelligence, long discussed as the next great frontier in shipping, is finally shifting from concept to practical application. A new report, “Beyond the Hype: AI in Maritime,” by Marcura and Thetius, captures this moment perfectly, showing that while optimism around AI runs high, the real breakthroughs are coming from those who can turn early experiments into trusted, operational tools.
SafeNav’s approach to AI at sea exemplifies this shift - a move from futuristic autonomy toward pragmatic, human-centred intelligence that can be deployed today.
AI Adoption in Maritime - From Buzzword to Bridge Tool
Across the shipping sector, enthusiasm for AI is unmistakable. Nearly every major shipowner, charterer, and port operator has launched pilot projects exploring how machine learning can improve operations, efficiency, and safety. According to industry surveys, more than 4/5 maritime professionals believe AI can meaningfully cut manual workloads, reduce risk, and increase compliance.
Yet only a small fraction, around 1/10, have actually moved beyond pilot projects to full operational use. The gap isn’t about technology readiness, but about trust, governance, and human factors. Many companies are running proof-of-concept trials without having the policies, training, or cultural alignment needed to integrate AI safely into daily bridge operations.
Still, the progress is undeniable. The industry is compressing 10–15 year innovation cycles into just 2–3 years, as digitalization and decarbonization pressures accelerate adoption like never before. AI tools are already helping shipping companies analyze contracts, optimize voyages, and even spot anomalies in equipment data before failures occur. Adoption has accelerated sharply, with hundreds of organizations introducing AI solutions in the past year alone. The market for maritime AI has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry, projected to expand at more than 20% annually through 2026.
What’s changed is the focus. Rather than chasing fully autonomous ships, the industry is prioritizing decision support — tools that help humans make better, faster, and safer choices at sea.
Key Stats & Insights from Marcura and Thetius on AI in Maritime
Human in the Loop - The Preferred Path Forward
The idea of a “crewless ship” has long captured headlines, but within the industry itself, the sentiment is more grounded. Most maritime professionals now see AI as a co-pilot, not a captain. An intelligent assistant that processes complex data and suggests actions, while leaving ultimate control with experienced mariners.
This human-in-the-loop approach is quickly becoming the standard. Bridge teams remain responsible for decisions, but AI can synthesize radar, AIS, GNSS, LiDAR, and camera inputs to detect hazards or predict collision courses long before a human could. The result is a bridge environment that is not only safer, but calmer. One where officers manage fewer distractions, make fewer errors, and operate with greater confidence.
There are challenges, of course. Data quality remains the single greatest risk, followed by the shortage of skilled personnel to operate and interpret AI systems. There are also concerns about over-reliance. If the AI fails, will the crew still have the situational awareness to respond correctly? These are valid questions, and they are shaping how regulators and class societies define acceptable use of AI onboard.
But rather than stalling progress, these challenges are refining it. The consensus across regulators and technology developers alike is that human-centred autonomy (systems that assist, explain, and adapt to the mariner) is the path that balances innovation with safety.
Vertical AI - Built for the Sea, Not Silicon Valley
Another lesson emerging from the industry is that generic AI systems cannot simply be dropped into maritime operations. The sea is a world of its own, governed by unique conventions, physics, and laws such as the COLREGs (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea).
That’s why “vertical AI” (purpose-built, domain-specific intelligence) is gaining traction. AI tools designed for the maritime context can understand nautical terminology, interpret radar echoes, assess hydrodynamic interactions, and apply international navigation rules correctly. These systems don’t just recognize a vessel; they understand its behavior, its obligations, and the potential risks it poses in different encounter scenarios.
The Marcura and Thetius report emphasizes that these vertical solutions are earning faster trust and adoption because they reflect the operational realities of seafaring. They speak the mariner’s language, literally and figuratively, and deliver measurable value from day one.
Regulation, Safety, & the Road to MASS
At the same time, policy frameworks are evolving. Recent updates from the European Commission’s DG MOVE (the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport) and the North Sea MASS initiative underline the same challenges that technology leaders are addressing: COLREG compliance, situational awareness, and human oversight. Regulators are not pushing for full autonomy; they are pushing for safe autonomy, where AI operates within certified, transparent, and auditable systems.
This is where the next phase of AI deployment will happen, at the intersection of human experience and machine precision. And this is exactly where SafeNav has positioned itself.
SafeNav’s COLREG-Compliant Co-Pilot - From Hype to Reality
SafeNav is one of the first companies in the world to translate the promise of AI navigation into a deployable, class-approved product. Our Decision Support System, or Co-Pilot, is a bridge assistant that fuses all shipboard sensors into a single decision engine and provides real-time COLREG-compliant advice to the Officer of the Watch.
Unlike traditional alert systems that simply warn of danger, SafeNav actively interprets each situation. It tells the navigator why a risk exists, which rule applies, and what maneuver would comply with the regulations. Every action is logged and traceable, creating full transparency and accountability - essential for trust and certification.
This year, SafeNav achieved a major milestone: Approval in Principle from DNV under the new AROS class notation for autonomous and remotely operated ships. It is the first COLREG-compliant navigation system to receive such approval, setting a benchmark for human-in-the-loop maritime AI.
Purpose-Built Maritime Intelligence
At its core, SafeNav represents the evolution from generalized automation to intelligent maritime systems built for real conditions at sea. Its architecture is modular, consisting of a Data Fusion Module that aggregates radar, AIS, GNSS, and camera feeds; a COLREG Rule Engine that interprets and applies international navigation rules; a Path-Planning Module for optimal route adjustments; and a continuously updated Hazard Database that learns from real encounters.
SafeNav operates with 99.8% uptime and sub-second latency, meaning decisions are delivered almost instantaneously to the bridge display or augmented-reality overlay. The system has been validated through EU sea trials and proven up to TRL 7 - a level of readiness indicating that it has proved deployment in real operational environments.
Building Trust Through Certification & Data
In an industry wary of over-promising, SafeNav has chosen certification and transparency as its foundation. Working closely with DNV, its Approval in Principle confirms compliance with emerging MASS standards and demonstrates that the system meets safety equivalence to conventional manned navigation.
Equally important is SafeNav’s long-term data strategy. Every installation contributes to a five-year Ocean Observation Database - a global repository of anonymized sensor data, encounters, and near-misses. This dataset will not only refine the current Co-Pilot but also train the future “AI Captain”, enabling higher levels of autonomy once regulations and trust permit.
By investing early in clean, structured, and verified data, SafeNav is ensuring that its models learn from real navigational expertise rather than synthetic simulations.
Operational, Environmental & Human Benefits
SafeNav’s decision-support approach delivers tangible benefits today.
Safety: Early maneuvering guidance and clear rule explanations reduce collision risk by more than 70% in tested scenarios.
Efficiency: Optimal course corrections prevent late evasive actions, saving fuel and improving voyage efficiency.
Compliance: Every maneuver recommendation is logged with its COLREG reference, providing a built-in audit trail for HSEQ and insurance purposes.
Decarbonisation: Fuel-aware path planning supports better CII performance and reduced emissions.
Training & HSEQ Culture: The system doubles as a learning platform, replaying near-miss events to improve crew awareness and bridge resource management.
By aligning with Bridge Resource Management Generation BRM 5 and the Industry 5.0 paradigm, SafeNav demonstrates how technology can enhance, not replace, human expertise, creating a safer, smarter, and more sustainable bridge environment.
SafeNav’s Proven Performance and Achievements
Scaling Across the Maritime Domain
SafeNav’s modular design makes it adaptable from small unmanned surface vessels to commercial cargo fleets. Naval and defense organizations are already exploring its use in USVs and patrol craft, while commercial operators see immediate value as a decision-support layer that can be installed on existing ships today.
With increasing regulatory focus on digital safety systems and AI-assisted navigation, SafeNav’s class-approved status offers a strategic advantage. It is not just conceptually ready, it is certified and operationally deployable.
Conclusion - From Hype to Human-Centred Autonomy
The future of AI in maritime isn’t about replacing mariners with machines. It’s about empowering them with smarter tools that enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability. The industry’s leading thinkers now agree: real progress will come from trusted, explainable, vertical AI that integrates seamlessly into existing operations.
SafeNav stands as a clear example of this evolution: a bridge between today’s manned vessels and tomorrow’s autonomous fleets. By focusing on human-in-the-loop design, rigorous certification, and real-world impact, SafeNav is proving that AI at sea doesn’t have to wait for the future. It’s already here, guiding ships safely through the world’s busiest waters - beyond the hype, and into reality.
