Reimagining safety management at sea

How AI can help make sense of complexity and identify unseen risks for seafarers

By Ali Demiral

As digitalisation starts to reshape every aspect of ship operations, few areas stand to benefit more from artificial intelligence (AI) than safety management. For too long, seafarers have carried the weight of increasingly complex regulatory demands, layered documentation, and rising cognitive pressures. But as a powerful learning tool, AI can lessen the load and improve maritime safety.

Safety management systems (SMS) are evolving beyond static checklists and tick-box exercises. The latest regulations demand nuance, evidence, and continuous assessment. That complexity can be daunting, especially for crews who must interpret ambiguous standards while maintaining day-to-day operations under intense conditions. That’s where AI steps in – not to replace human decision-making, but to support it with speed, clarity, and contextual intelligence.

The AI technology we have we built into the WiseStella platform, for instance, uses large language models that dig deep into historical safety data, industry guidance, and real-world reports, to provide actionable insights tailored to a vessel’s operational profile.

Take the SIRE 2.0 or TMASA self-assessment process required of charterers. When a second engineer, for example, encounters a compliance question that seems vague, ambiguous, or tangential crews can consult Wise-AI to better understand what is required. Rather than struggling to interpret the intent behind a regulation, they receive guidance rooted in prior inspections, anonymised fleet-wide trends, and best practices. In seconds, they’re equipped with suggested responses and potential risks to explore further.

This technology is transformative. It reduces the time needed to complete assessments, alleviates stress, and builds a more confident and competent crew. More importantly, it fosters a deeper understanding of why certain actions matter, reinforcing a culture of safety that goes beyond compliance.

And this value extends beyond the individual ship. With built-in benchmarking tools, AI technology allows fleet managers to compare vessels’ performance across a range of indicators. They can identify which ships are consistently strong and which need targeted support, enabling data-driven decisions that were previously impossible at scale.

Help for crews

Yet as the industry embraces digital solutions to improve safety, we must also acknowledge their potential to support seafarer wellbeing. Cognitive overload, fatigue, and mental health issues remain serious challenges for crews operating under sustained pressure. AI can help here, too. By streamlining repetitive tasks, reducing documentation burden, and offering clarity where uncertainty breeds stress. The goal is not only safer operations but healthier ones, where crews are empowered rather than overwhelmed.

We’ve already started to explore these intersections more intentionally. Insights from wellbeing assessments, for example, show that mental strain and operational risks are often tightly linked. When AI supports decision-making and documentation, it can free up cognitive capacity for critical thinking and better communication onboard. Used well, it becomes a tool for resilience.

Our team of data scientists has worked closely with maritime professionals to ensure the technology understands not just language, but context. These are not off-the-shelf algorithms; they are bespoke models tailored to shipping, constantly refined based on feedback and evolving regulations.

Crucially, machine learning capabilities allow every new inspection, assessment, or feedback loop to improve predictive accuracy and relevance. The more data we process, the more precise and proactive the system becomes. And because we also incorporate guidance from regulators and professional bodies, insights reflect not only operational experience but also emerging expectations across the industry.

This is vitally important in an era where safety culture and compliance are increasingly under the spotlight. The maritime sector needs tools that make sense of complexity and AI can do that. It can identify unseen risks, simplify decision-making, and ultimately protect both people and assets.

It must be borne in mind, however, that AI is a co-pilot, not the captain. Every recommendation made by an AI-driven platform must be reviewed by qualified experts. Human-in-the-loop validation ensures that the insights our clients receive are not only intelligent but also trusted.

The future of maritime safety is not about more paperwork or reactive ‘firefighting’. The future is more about foresight. It’s about empowering seafarers with tools that make their jobs easier, safer, and more meaningful.

Ali Demiral is chief technology officer at WiseStella.