AI has the potential to deliver significant benefits to the maritime industry, but several challenges must be overcome to fully unlock its capabilities. In this article, which is part of a series of twelve, we explore some of these areas in greater detail. Here we discuss trust, transparency and user acceptance with AI.
Trust, transparency and user acceptance
No matter how intelligent a technology is, would you trust it to perform a critical procedure without having some insight into its decision-making process?
The perception of advanced digital technologies such as AI plays a crucial role in their acceptance and adoption. A 2023 paper that reviewed 60 studies on user acceptance of AI found that trust in AI was one of several factors affecting user acceptance. Another study in 2022 showed that transparency around the performance of a technology is closely linked to user trust, which in turn is a hindrance to the delegation of tasks or decisions to an intelligent system.
For a technology that is capable of replacing some human tasks, users must be able to understand its decision-making process. One of the barriers to AI’s further growth and adoption is the lack of trust in it.
One train of thought by founder and director of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation Rupert Younger believes that while AI is a technology, it should also be viewed as a stakeholder to help foster transparency and trust between humans and machines. After all, it is capable of creating content and making decisions just as a human does, so why not engage with it in the same way?
In a recent article by Younger, he explained that stakeholders using AI should collaborate with AI algorithm developers to understand and help shape the work the algorithm is doing. This means that users of AI will benefit from greater transparency on the AI’s decision-making while retaining some agency over the technology and therefore be able to place greater trust in it in the long run.
Thetius spoke with Stena Line’s digital engineering manager Michael Ljunge about the interaction between humans and machines after it was revealed in the media that one of the biggest challenges they faced when implementing AI was “ensuring that everyone on board understands how the system works.” The company rolled out its in-house voyage optimisation tool under the initial name Captain’s AI but soon changed it to avoid misconceptions that AI would replace human decision-making. “AI is so hyped and a lot of people don’t actually know what it means and immediately worry it’s going to replace their jobs,” Ljunge told us. “Instead, the technology is now presented as an intelligent assistant that supports the captain’s and crew’s decisions, which has helped to integrate the AI system in a more natural way and as a tool that complements human expertise and experience.”
This shift in messaging and positioning of the AI tool highlights the importance of addressing concerns around automation and job displacement. By emphasizing the role of AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human decision-making, the company has been able to successfully integrate the technology into their operations.
Furthermore, by rebranding the tool as a voyage optimisation tool rather than a purely AI-driven solution, the company is able to better communicate the value and purpose of the technology to its users. This approach not only helps to build trust and acceptance of the technology among the crew but also ensures that the tool is used effectively to enhance decision-making and improve operational efficiency.
Overall, the company’s strategic decision to reposition and rename the AI tool demonstrates a thoughtful and considerate approach to incorporating technology into their operations, ultimately leading to successful adoption and integration within their workflow.
To learn more about the challenges and opportunities in AI discussed in this article, read our thought leadership report, produced in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register titled, “Beyond the Horizon, Opportunities and Obstacles in the Maritime AI Boom” This report offers an in-depth analysis of the current state of operational AI in the shipping industry, shedding light on the latest trends, groundbreaking developments, and successful implementations. You can download a copy of the report here.
