This article introduces the core theme of the report: the challenge and opportunity of combining artificial intelligence with human intelligence in maritime voyage optimisation, an operational environment shaped by uncertainty, safety, and constant decision-making.
Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) superior to human intelligence? Opinions differ on that. Some argue that AI’s computational power already surpasses human capability, while others insist that creativity, empathy, and ethical reasoning remain uniquely human. As AI increasingly takes on tasks once performed by people, the challenge lies not in choosing one over the other, but in harnessing the strengths of both. This report, written by Thetius and commissioned by StormGeo, explores how that balance can be achieved within the maritime sphere and in particular, voyage optimisation.
Voyage planning and management require countless decisions to be made every day. But there are a number of disruptions that require flexible decision-making. 70–80% of vessels encounter disruptions during their voyages, a large proportion of which are tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and other climate-related disasters. At the same time, decarbonisation and environmental regulation are now top-tier strategic issues.
Before a voyage, operators need to model different routes, speeds, ETAs, fuel, and emissions scenarios and incorporate all associated costs, including fuel, time charter equivalent (TCE), emissions, and regulatory requirements, into the plan. During the voyage, dynamic weather routing is needed to optimise the voyage and manage fuel efficiency, bunkers and just-in-time arrivals. Post-voyage, reviews of time, distance, fuel, and actual emissions versus estimated emissions are generated to provide lessons on weather, route choice, and regulatory performance that can be fed back into future plans.
With all these decisions to be made, it is therefore logical that organisations are turning to AI to support them and reduce the risk of fatigue or oversight.
But using AI to optimise maritime operations such as voyage planning and management is not simply a technological challenge; it is largely a human one. It involves examining how we design, understand, implement, and remain accountable for its effects on business, society, and individual lives.
In voyage optimisation, AI-enabled tools might be excellent at exploring large quantities of data and a number of route or speed options to help minimise fuel burn, emissions or improve time as weather forecasts change. But humans are better at understanding the context and managing risk and resilience. Human oversight, therefore, remains vital to prevent bias or habitual thinking from distorting judgment. Operators must understand when to trust AI and when to intervene; without this awareness, decision-support systems risk being followed blindly or ignored altogether.
Because voyage optimisation involves collaboration between ship and shore teams, trust and communication are essential. AI-generated recommendations must be interpreted critically to ensure that decisions in one department do not negatively affect another. Human awareness, at the individual, social, and organisational level, is therefore fundamental to safe and effective AI adoption.
To explore how a balanced human-AI approach can strengthen voyage optimisation in safety-critical conditions, read the full Thought Leadership report, Co-Pilots of the Sea: Exploring the Human Intelligence Behind Maritime AI, produced in partnership with StormGeo.
