Early Detection

What is Early Detection? 

Early Detection is an AI-based solution that reveals the unknown and delivers early intelligence and business insights on pivotal events, geopolitical shifts, supply chain disruptions, and covert operations. 

It provides a consistent view – from high-level decision-makers, to directors and analysts – of world events that may disrupt supply chains, impact global trade, or threaten security.

“Intelligence is power, and those with the earliest data and insights inevitably lead the market.  Early Detection acts like a crystal ball, eliminating the surprise and chaos around evolving trends or events providing our customers with an unprecedented advantage,” says Ami Daniel, Co-Founder & CEO of Windward.

Early Detection allows governmental and commercial organizations to monitor and analyze vessel activity globally. It combines detection with external data feeds to uncover anomalies and trends in real time, enabling effective responses. 

Enriched by a Gen AI virtual analyst/subject matter expert, it provides tangible data, insights, and recommended actions. As Ami said, It’s a crystal ball for questions organizations never thought to ask.

Why Detecting Emerging Anomalies is Difficult 

The maritime and logistics industries face significant challenges, including a lack of expert manpower, an enormous surface area to monitor, unpredictable weather, geopolitical changes, and a shortage of timely intelligence. These are situations with no prior data or indicators, making it difficult to identify emerging risks or anomalies until they have already occurred. 

The world is becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable – Houthi attacks, ever-evolving sanctions, extreme weather events, etc. – and a new approach to risk mitigation and management is critical. Government and commercial organizations relying on the same methods and tactics are bound to stay behind. 

Technology and Gen AI are crucial to move organizations beyond what is known, away from the dependence on pre-existing knowledge or assumptions. Knowledge is power and those with the earliest data and insights inevitably lead the market and ensure their resilience. Early Detection eliminates the surprise and chaos around evolving trends or events, providing organizations with an unprecedented advantage. 

Who Can Benefit? And How Windward Can Help

For governments, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement, Early Detection revolutionizes maritime surveillance by providing leads to analysts about activities that warrant investigation. The most complex challenge of all is finding the unknown unknowns (unanticipated threats).

Windward’s Early Detection solution highlights unusual vessel movements, new congregations of vessels, sudden changes in ship registrations, and other anomalies that could indicate security threats or illegal activities. MAI Expert™, our Gen AI agent, then provides the context, such as sanctions evasion, trafficking or illegal fishing. By providing timely, actionable intelligence, Early Detection and MAI Expert™ enable the public sector to focus their resources more effectively, enhancing national security and maritime law enforcement efforts.

Commercial organizations – including shippers, insurers, traders, freight forwarders, and bunkering companies – can leverage Early Detection and MAI Expert™ to proactively identify business opportunities and mitigate risks. The capability alerts users to events like sudden increases in port congestion, or shifts in shipping routes, allowing them to leverage Early Detection for financial advantage. 

For example, if vessels begin rerouting to avoid specific areas and opt for longer, safer routes as seen during the Red Sea Crisis earlier this year, bunkering companies can strategically position services along these new paths to meet emerging demand. By understanding these trends and anomalies, businesses can optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance profitability.

Early Detection intelligence is tailored to the maritime and supply chain industries:

• React swiftly to emerging disruptions before they escalate, from weather conditions to port congestion, to ensure smooth operations.
• Uncover emerging market shifts, evolving trade patterns, new operational hubs, and growth opportunities with real-time monitoring of global vessel movements.
• Gain near-real-time insights into anomalies and trend shifts that may signal critical geopolitical events or military activities, directly impacting national security. 

Generative AI’s (Gen AI) Importance for Early Detection

Here are three ways in which generative AI (Gen AI) is critical for early detection: 

• Multiple personas – a Gen AI virtual analyst and agent can support various knowledge bases, such as oil trading, compliance, intelligence, security, and logistics. It should offer multiple expert agents per vertical, so users gain contextual insights into the anomalies detected as they occur. This specialized lens allows Gen AI to interpret and explain data through the relevant context and propose actions tailored to each industry and persona.
• Customization – the Gen AI expert can be customized to meet the unique needs of different organizations, equipping each with their own version of the virtual analyst.
• Multi-language – Gen AI provides its insights and recommendations in multiple languages, as defined by the customer, with specific attention applied to geopolitical specificities and regional terminology.

Multiple Data Sources’ Importance for Early Detection

Early Detection enhances proprietary maritime data by integrating multiple open-source data streams, including news, social media, and in the future, extreme weather and refinery outages (and other data sources of relevance and importance). This makes it possible to link anomalies with relevant external data, providing real-time insights and context as events unfold.

Learn More 

Learn more about Windward’s Early Detection solution.