Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just about technology; it’s about people. Emotions, mindsets, and cultural responses play a decisive role in whether AI succeeds or fails. This article explores why emotional factors matter and how roles across the industry perceive AI differently.
Emotions drive the uptake and quality of a technology’s use. The pilot vs passenger mindset can be useful to illustrate this point. The pilot mindset sees AI as a way to augment the user’s capabilities. The passenger mindset feels carried along by AI and senses a loss of control and agency.
In a recently published two-year study, BetterUp and Stanford University’s Social Media Lab examined 12,000 workers across 18 industries to understand how AI is transforming their work. Interestingly, it found that 28% of the workforce are pilots, but they are 3.6x more productive and 3.1x more loyal than passengers.
Why is this important? In maritime, where scepticism of new technology is traditionally high, emotional factors and this pilot vs passenger mindset are critical to securing buy-in. Users must be willing co-pilots with AI, rather than reluctant passengers. Those with a pilot mindset will be more likely to take control of the opportunities that AI offers.
Our research suggests that attitudes towards AI in the maritime industry vary depending on an individual’s role, seniority, and proximity to day-to-day operations. Frontline and operational staff may have concerns shaped by the hands-on nature of their work and the direct impact AI tools could have on established processes. Many also fear losing the human relationships and trust-based interactions that underpin this people-first, network-driven industry.
Back-office teams, while often more exposed to digital tools, may face different pressures or resource constraints that shape their experience and expectations of AI. Senior leaders tend to see AI through a strategic lens, focusing on potential gains, but may not always be attuned to the emotional or practical hurdles felt elsewhere in the organisation.
Departments viewed as most prepared for AI implementation include IT and Digital Transformation (31%) and Operations and Voyage Management (25%), where optimism is higher and efficiency gains are clear. Compliance and Legal departments, however, show greater scepticism, citing accountability, legal risk, and the potential for overreliance.
Takeaway: To adopt AI successfully, individuals as well as organisations need a pilot mindset, not just letting tech happen to them, but actively steering its use towards real outcomes.
For further insight into the areas highlighted in this article, download our thought leadership report, Beyond The Hype, created in partnership with Marcura.
