Executive brief #3 From AIS screening to behavior analysis
What’s inside?
The Automatic Identification System (AIS) has profoundly changed our understanding of what is happening at sea, providing a deeper understanding of where ships are and where they are headed at all times. However, what AIS does not answer is: What is the ship doing? Why is it doing that? What is its importance?
A skilled analyst can answer that question, however, they may require hours or even days to do so. With the rise of false positives, this means transactions would slow down significantly, transforming compliance risks into operational risks.
Training artificial intelligence algorithms to conduct expert shipping analysis automatically speeds-up vessel due diligence processes and provides compliance professionals with always up-to-date recommendations. Such automation helps minimize false positives and maintain existing compliance frameworks and controls without needing additional domain experts.
Key takeaways
AIS manipulations and sanctions evasion – Behavior analysis can shed light on the context of questionable activities at sea, generating valuable insights that can support decision making.
Behavior analysis: The case of the Pacific Bravo – To determine whether or not a vessel was evading sanctions requires deep domain knowledge, expertise in sanctions evasion typologies, and above all, time.
Scale up behavior analysis with artificial intelligence (AI) – Integrating advanced AI capabilities into vessel due diligence enables automatic clearance of low-risk events and flags suspicious patterns of behavior.
Download the full brief
Featured posts
Border Security & Intelligence
What U.S. Maritime Enforcement Is Up Against in 2026: An Exclusive Interview with Blas Nuñez-Neto
Key Takeaways An Expert Perspective on Maritime Enforcement in 2026 By any traditional measure, maritime enforcement should be getting easier. There is more data than ever before – we have more sensors, more satellites, and more visibility across the world’s oceans. Yet for agencies tasked with protecting borders, enforcing sanctions, and interdicting illicit trade, the…
What Maduro’s Fall and the EU’s 18th Sanctions Package Mean for Maritime Compliance
At a Glance Navigating the Convergence of Sanctions and Geopolitics The maritime industry has just entered one of its most volatile periods in decades. On January 3, 2026, the global energy landscape was upended by Operation Absolute Resolve. Following a coordinated strike involving over 150 aircraft, the United States successfully took the Venezuelan leader, Nicolás…
Maritime Defense Weekly: U.S. Intervention in Venezuela and Maritime Risk
The Week in Focus Venezuela: Intervention, Transition, and Maritime Risk Operation Absolute Resolve, the U.S. operation against Venezuela, has created a fragile interim environment. Following January 3 strikes on military infrastructure in Caracas and the port of La Guaira, Nicolás Maduro was removed, leaving a power vacuum with direct implications for global energy flows. The…
EU-Owned Tankers Regain Share of Russian Oil Shipments
Preliminary figures show European-owned tankers shipped 29% of all Russian oil in December, underscoring the growing complexity of sanctions enforcement as Western governments further target exports funding the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. That share rebounded sharply from November, when just 17% of crude, refined products, and fuel oil was exported on EU tonnage — one…
Ground Truth: Windward’s 2026 Commitment to Verified Maritime Intelligence
By Ariel Zibziner, VP Business Services, Windward Data Integrity in an Era of High-Frequency Signal Manipulation As we conclude 2025, the maritime domain is characterized by a trust deficit in digital signaling. The convergence of major global conflicts — continued hostilities in Ukraine, Houthi attacks disrupting Red Sea transit, suspected infrastructure sabotage in the Baltic,…
Russia Reclaims Its Dark Fleet as Venezuela Tankers Come Under Attack
Bella 1 Reflags to Russia to Avoid U.S. Interception Runaway Venezuela-trading tanker Bella 1 (IMO 9230880) painted a Russian flag on its hull, changed its name, and reflagged to Russia mid-voyage last week to avoid capture by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean. But Bella 1, now known as Marinera, is not alone….
Ground Truth: Windward’s 2026 Commitment to Verified Maritime Intelligence
By Ariel Zibziner, VP Business Services, Windward Data Integrity in an Era of High-Frequency Signal Manipulation As we conclude 2025, the maritime domain is characterized by a trust deficit in digital signaling. The convergence of major global conflicts — continued hostilities in Ukraine, Houthi attacks disrupting Red Sea transit, suspected infrastructure sabotage in the Baltic,...
Windward Launches WhatsApp Integration for Instant Risk Insights
At a Glance Redefining Vessel Screening for a Real-Time World In global trade and shipping, decisions are rarely made from behind a desk. A call from port control, a sudden request from a counterpart, or a time-sensitive deal can trigger the need for immediate screening. Whether it’s a compliance check to prevent sanctions breaches or...
Navigate 2025’s Maritime Risk Landscape with Maritime AI™ at London International Shipping Week
As the global shipping community gathers for London International Shipping Week (LISW) 2025, one reality stands out: disruption is the operating environment, not the exception. The maritime ecosystem is under sustained pressure, and adapting to this high risk era is now a prerequisite for business continuity. From sanctions and signal interference to fraudulent documents and...
AI-Automated Document Validation: Streamlining Trade Against Real Maritime Activity
Global trade still runs on paper. Bills of Lading, certificates of origin, price attestations, and other documents remain the backbone of maritime trade, yet also its most persistent Achilles’ heel. Forged paperwork fuels fraud, delays compliance, and stalls cargo worth millions. Windward’s new AI-Automated Document Validation changes that, by cross-checking every document against what actually...
From Risk Platform to Collaborative Ecosystem: Reducing Friction in Chartering
By Ami Daniel, Co-Founder & CEO, Windward When we founded Windward.ai in 2010, we were a small startup of engineers and maritime experts using AI to bring order to chaotic oceans. Today, with nearly 300 customers — including governments, shipowners, energy firms, insurers, and traders — our Maritime AI™ platform influences billions in daily trade....