The World Maritime Transport Council (WSC) plans to use artificial intelligence to enhance cargo security.
The organization announced Monday that it has launched a new initiative. The new initiative, called the Cargo Safety Program, aims to preemptively stop dangerous goods from boarding the ship. The WSC said it plans to use AI to screen and inspect cargo before it is loaded onto the vessel, and intends to identify the vessel, corporate cargo, and the vessel itself to mislead or undeclared cargo that is at high risk for the vessel.
Joe Kramek, president and CEO of WSC, said measures are expected to be taken to reduce the number of ship fires that occur.
“We have seen tragic incidents in which cargo that was described as false led to catastrophic fires, including the loss of life,” Kramek said in a statement. “The WSC Cargo Safety Program strengthens the industry's safety net by combining shared screening technologies, general testing standards and real-world feedback to mitigate risk.”
The WSC said various marine freight carriers, which account for more than 70% of the world's 21-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity, are already participating in the initiative. These include Hapag-Lolyd, Ocean Network Express (1), Maersk, CMA CGM, and more.
A screening tool that leverages technology built by the National Cargo Bureau (NCB) “scans millions of bookings in real time using keyword search, trade pattern recognition and AI-driven algorithms to identify potential risks,” the WSC says. If the system detects a risk or anomaly, it passes the feedback to the carrier. The carrier can manually inspect the cargo if necessary.
WSC will participate in other third-party logistics players primarily on the land to leverage AI for safety. Self-driving trucks typically leverage AI and machine learning-based systems to determine the safest routes a vehicle will consume. Combined with sensors and computer vision, these systems can also warn driverless vehicles of on-road hazards, including turbulent weather conditions.
Additionally, some logistics players are beginning to utilize the robotics of their facilities. More and more, physical AI will help ensure that those robots do not collide. This is done through both real learning and digital twin simulations. This allows developers to train their robots much faster than developers can if they need to manually simulate any real-world situation. With the rise in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), physical AI is becoming increasingly important. AMRs must be able to suddenly stop as they move freely through warehouses, factories and other facilities.
AI-based surveillance aims to flag pre-injury risks and also works in many warehouses. Companies like Voxel, which won the Series B round in June, can intersink existing security cameras, sensors and AI systems to monitor employee safety. The company's heat mapping system uses input from the camera to determine high-risk zones within the facility, providing real-time suggestions for how to eliminate the risks for managers. Virginia Ports use these technologies to make operations safer.
WSC did not make it clear that it announced whether it plans to use new AI capabilities to stem safety issues beyond fires. The trade group recently released a report stating that nearly 11.4% of freight transports inspected are defective. That may mean that they have an incorrect item that has not been declared within them or that they have. Incorrect or mangled package; structural issues or incorrect documents.
At the time, the WSC said that any of these issues tends to cause major safety issues, including ship fires. Just a few days ago, just after the WSC issued a safety warning, more than 60 containers fell down from a cargo ship in Long Beach Port. The ship transported cargo to retailers such as Costco, Target, Walmart and small shops. The cause of the incident has not yet been reported by the authorities.
When used properly, AI scanning technologies like the kinds of WSC introduced can help mitigate incidents beyond fires. The organization said the initiative is interested in improving safety outcomes for freight carriers, saying the freight safety program will continue to evolve by continuing to evolve and regularly updating technologies and standards to address new and emerging risks.
Kramek said he hopes in doing so will help WSC move the needle with safety outcomes, but he pointed out that carriers and businesses are also responsible for protecting workers, ships and cargo.
“Working together and using the best available tools will help you identify risks early, act quickly, and prevent accidents before they occur,” Kramek said in a statement. “The cargo safety program is a powerful new layer of protection, but it does not replace the basic obligation that shippers must declare dangerous goods accurately. That is the starting point for safety and is necessary under international law.”
