Generative AI Will Reshape Shipping Within 18 Months

At the 17th Annual Capital Link Shipping & Marine Services Forum, held during London International Shipping Week, Windward’s Co-Founder and CEO, Ami Daniel, issued a striking forecast:

“In the next 12 to 18 months, you’ll see generative AI change how people analyze and make decisions. In my view, everybody will be a PhD-level analyst with the best data in the world.”

The comment anchored a lively panel, “Smart Shipping is Already Here – AI & Digitalization at Sea,” which gathered maritime leaders to discuss how artificial intelligence, digitalization, and automation are altering shipping processes that have remained largely unchanged for centuries.

From Vast Data Flows to Actionable Insights

Few industries generate as much raw data as shipping. With more than 50,000 vessels broadcasting position and operational details, the sector produces hundreds of millions of data points. The challenge has never been collection, but interpretation.

New connectivity tools are changing that equation. High-speed, lower-cost satellite networks such as Starlink, combined with cloud computing, are enabling a seamless link between ship and shore. AI can now sit on top of these vast data flows, turning static numbers into real-time, actionable insights.

Daniel highlighted the accessibility this brings: “Everybody’s not technical, but everybody can find English, which is now becoming the language of engineering versus Python or Java.” In other words, generative AI is broadening who can interact with data, democratizing maritime decision-making in ways that were previously unthinkable.

Collapsing Timeframes: From Days to Minutes

Despite advances, much of shipping still operates at a 20th-century pace. Vessel chartering, for instance, usually takes two to four days and involves input from 15 to 20 separate verticals. “How do you collate and cross-pollinate information and make the right decisions? How do you manage risks?” Daniel asked. His answer: AI.

Windward’s AI-Automated Document Validation solution is one example. It can verify bills of lading and other trade documents in “30 to 60 seconds, circumventing current processes of two to three days,” Daniel noted.

Smart Questions, Right Data

The heart of Daniel’s argument is that AI amplifies the value of asking the right questions. “The difference between ‘good,’ and ‘very good’ operators and traders and ‘very bad’ ones would be the ability to ask questions,” he said.

But the quality of answers depends on the quality of data. Daniel broke it down bluntly: “There’s your data, there’s data you buy from third parties, and there’s public data. You probably need to combine all three to win, because nobody has all the data they need.” AI’s strength lies in integrating these layers, insulating them, and tailoring insights for each user. In Daniel’s words: “Your complete data becomes your advantage.”

Theory to Practice

AI already improves vessel performance, route planning, crew optimization, and predictive maintenance. But broader commercial benefits — fuel savings, reduced idle time, optimized workflows — remain under-realized.

“Massive savings that could be generated using artificial intelligence have yet to be unlocked,” one participant observed. Daniel agreed, arguing that shipping is in the first phase of what he called the “productization of AI.” With more than 5,000 AI vendors in the U.S. alone, companies face a crowded market of specialized solutions. The challenge is not availability but adoption.

Leadership and Accountability

Daniel pointed to an adoption gap: consumers are embracing AI faster than businesses. That imbalance, he argued, places responsibility squarely on leadership. “If you give it to your people to figure it out, they’re not going to transform your company. The buck stops with you.”

He stressed that AI must tie directly to tangible returns, whether through fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, or streamlined workflows. Without clear bottom-line benefits, adoption will stall. With them, the transformation could be swift.

The Industry’s Inflection Point

The takeaway from the session was unambiguous. Shipping is standing at an inflection point where data abundance, connectivity, and AI capability are aligning. The technology to reduce costs, improve safety, and manage compliance risks is available. The question is whether companies will act quickly enough to seize the advantage.

For those who do, generative AI promises to collapse decision cycles from days to minutes, make complex datasets accessible to all, and redefine what it means to be a “very good” operator. For those who hesitate, the risk is not missing a technology trend but losing competitiveness in a volatile, fast-changing maritime market.