Implementation reality vs. optimism: AI is not scaling in maritime

Maritime companies are stuck in the early stages of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, unable to scale beyond small experiments as widespread optimism collides with implementation reality, according to new industry research.

The study “Beyond the Hype: What the maritime industry really thinks about AI” by research firm Thetius in partnership with Marcura, a maritime technology and services provider, combines 130 survey responses and in-depth interviews with maritime professionals.

It reveals a sector that is both eager and cautious: 82% are optimistic about AI and 81% are running pilot projects, yet 37% have personally witnessed AI failures and only 11% have formal policies to guide scaling.

The research identified clear consensus on where AI delivers value: 97% see benefits in reducing manual workflow inefficiencies, 87% see obvious potential for AI in charter party contract analysis, and identifying risky voyage decisions. However, 69% believe that AI solutions might miss critical red flags in contracts or voyage planning, leading to poor business outcomes.