Every era of maritime progress has relied on a partnership between human ingenuity and technological innovation. Steam reduced the need for muscle, electronics supported eyesight and extended situational awareness, and now AI enhances human decision making in the most demanding of environments and situations.

The success of this new era will not be measured by how autonomous ships become, but by how well they support the people who still make the sea their workplace. When cognitive load is measured, respected, and intelligently shared between human and machine, the result is not just efficiency but grace under pressure.

AI at sea is, at its best, the navigator’s lifeline: stabilising the vessel, simplifying the storm, and giving crews the mental space to lead with confidence and composure. Managing cognitive load ensures that, no matter how advanced the technology, the most powerful instrument on the bridge remains the human mind—calm and capable at the centre of the system.

Please read on to see the research and findings behind the navigators lifeline by Oliver Thompson who is our Director of Engineering, bringing a deep technical background in robotic engineering and nearly a decade of hands-on experience in maritime autonomy.