Browsing by Author "Almulhem, Mubarak Ahmed"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Restricted
Regulating Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS): Challenges and Prospects.
(Swansea University, 2024-09-28) Almulhem, Mubarak Ahmed; Tettenborn, Andrew; Amaxilati, Zoumpoulia
Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (or ‘MASS’) are a revolutionary technology that in the near- to medium-term are set to transform the maritime industry. As this technology reaches maturation, it is expected to lower shipping costs and improve safety, because it will greatly reduce – and maybe even entirely eliminate – the need for human seafarers and with them the potential for human error. That said, MASS also present significant regulatory challenges, because the law of the sea was developed with manned ships in mind and, particularly in respect fully autonomous ships with no human oversight, the existing regime will therefore struggle to accommodate MASS. Against this backdrop, this study assesses the challenges and prospects which MASS present for maritime regulation. The commentary looks particularly at the classification and design of MASS, the criteria for what makes a ship a ship in international law, and in particular the role of the master, along with how liability questions are impacted by AI systems. Overall, the commentary argues that, while the introduction of MASS present many not insignificant challenges to current maritime regulation, there is also a good prospect for regulation to play a proactive role in shaping the technology in a two-way process which can seek to maximise the benefits of MASS while minimising the potential for harm.
19 0