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Technology - Artificial Intelligence The ships of the future sailing with without a captain?

A future with ships sailing without a captain, navigated by artificial intelligence?
by Earl of Cruise
Unmanned vessels flying the flag of Amazon - that is the opinion of the largest German ship owners, and not only them, no longer an utopia. The Marine heads for the digitization and adjusts to a broad upheaval in the sector.
artificial intelligence at sea
Photo courtesy by MAERSK LINE
Men overboard, to save costs, to become more efficient, be more shareholder value caring?
The digitalizing will engage the ship owners in the near future. PwC has made research for. 87% of the participating think of a higher digitalizing of shipping. 25% think it will be that successful, that we will see ships in the near future sailing without a crew. It is a turning point, as last year 96% did not think digitalizing will even happen. But we have seen sailing the first of these non crewed vessels.
51% of the managers think it will be important for the international competition to get a bigger part in the whole transport chain. And 66% think they should serve the door to door business for being competitive in the future.
"The progressive digitalization compels the German shipping companies now to expand their service portfolio and cover the logistics chain comprehensive - not only at sea but also on land." said Claus Brandt partner at PwC, responsible for the maritime business. Even the ships could be maintained from ashore via the digitalization.
Six of ten participants on the research said, that we will see Amazon and google as shipping lines. As such new competitors are reaching into the transport chain.
The total investment is nearly as high than last year.
It very different on behalf of LNG use. 33% think LNG will be the fuel of the future, as 66% think it won´t play that a role, as 71% of these think they can´t hand down the transforming costs of the fleets to customers.
I guess they have forgotten more and more people ask for green food, look for the carbon footprint, sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Betting on the old heavy oil as fuel, even with the use of katalysators (scrubbers) to reduce the SOX and NOX will be no solution to the needed change. And then we will have the regulations for TIER III in place and TIER IV coming. Even in the USA and Canada, which is wonder, there is 200sm offshore area where heavy marine diesel is no longer allowed.
But back to the automatisation in the shipping industry.
The way into the artificial inteligence is like opening Pandoras box.
Why so?
artificial intelligence
DNV robot vessel idea, photo coutesy by DNV
In general the investors in these technologies think in first place in return on investment, which is normal and a market must. A crew-less vessel will have more space for freight at same dimensions, as no crew quarters must be installed. But what will be with all those who can´t go with the change? Those who don´t have a chance in this brave new world? What of those who will be unemployed after the mass automatisation? These will all get their anxiety for the future, as we see it at present ... taking their turn to the extremistic forces and politicians.
In London is the Docland railway running without a conductor. It is strange, but exiting too.
artificial intelligence
The London Dockland Railroad, the automated trains run without conductors on the train, 
photo courtesy by London Dockland Railroad
Rendering of drone container ship, photo courtesy by ROLLS ROYCE MARINE
Another point is the security. Despite all the claiming for the security of that technology, we have our first death from that technology. I love the TESLA, but I fear for its driver-less qualities.And it is the same for ships sailed by artificial intelligence. What is about sheer winds? We all know these videos where ships, even crewed they are getting in troubles. How will an automated sytem react?
What is about the hospitality on cruise ships, as this new technology will be implemente there too. Will it be as in STAR TREK? ... "Computer, Earl Grey!" ... ? If I prefer only the food of the `M´ than it may be perhaps okay ... Hospitality controlled from ashore will be like Hollywood Sci-fi films like STAR TREK or PROMETHEUS, where the on board housekeeping within the space ships is done by robots or humanoid androids like that of Michael Fassbender played in that film, or will be remote controlled.
Or what about the housekeeping? Will see then only permanent vacuuming roboters? Rather let the housekeeping or hospitality leave in the hands of the employees of top notch hospitality management companies while the ship's technicalities are controlled from ashore.
The navigation via GPS is standard today. But when the USA gone to war with Irak, the last time, we had massive navigation problems, at sea and ashore, as the system was cut short to protect the US and allies moves. And what with hackers? What if these take control of the ships? And no computer system is that secure, that nobody is able to hack into and take control ...
The human can make mistakes, and we cry why was he so stupid to do this and that, and why this or that, but I distrust a mashine.
The last barrier is our human brain, wisdom and empathy.
This will mean the future total unemployment. The future ships will be in the hands of hospitality managers and not merchant mariners in person. Jobs for few only. And to be feed, filling our fridges, so in the future too, we need jobs, earn money ... or we get dictators, wars or other very dark to experience. People today are scared about their future. Those turn to radicals. What if we have total unemployment ... ? ...

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