Autonomous Vessels and Maritime Law
How unmanned ships and drones challenge existing maritime legal frameworks.
Ships Without Crews
Autonomous vessels, ships that operate with reduced or no crew using AI and remote control, are moving from concept to reality. Yara Birkeland, a Norwegian autonomous electric container ship, began operations in 2022. Autonomous ferries operate in Finland and Japan. The shipping industry estimates that autonomous vessels could reduce operating costs by 20-40 percent and eliminate most human-error accidents, which cause over 80 percent of maritime casualties.
The legal challenges are significant. UNCLOS and most maritime conventions assume ships have crews. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requires a master and crew. The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) assumes a human lookout. The International Maritime Organization has been reviewing how existing instruments apply to autonomous vessels and working toward a regulatory framework.