Artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping port operational models, unlocking benefits that were difficult to imagine a decade ago, according to Johanna Christensen, Co-founder and CEO of the Global Maritime Forum, speaking at the 4th Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo.
The expo, themed "Sailing the World, Operating the Future – AI Leads New Opportunities for Port and Shipping Development," was held in Tianjin from June 2nd to 5th. International and domestic experts agree that the large-scale application of AI is becoming a significant factor influencing the shipping industry's development, with the benefits of technological implementation rapidly extending across the entire sector.
From a bird's-eye view, the C-section intelligent container terminal in Tianjin Port's Beijiang Port Area on the Bohai Bay is bustling yet orderly. Automated quay cranes operate systematically, unmanned container trucks shuttle back and forth, and transport robots move smoothly along their routes. The "smart brain" in the control room automatically allocates loading and unloading tasks based on algorithms, while the PortGPT large model can automatically identify and analyze full-scene port production conditions via front-end cameras. This is the world's first "smart zero-carbon" terminal.
Chu Bin, Chairman of Tianjin Port Group Co., Ltd., explained that the port is using AI as its core engine, enhancing efficiency and capability through digital and intelligent transformation, and continuously accelerating the pace of port digital upgrading. The benefits of improved operational efficiency and reduced energy consumption costs from digital and intelligent empowerment are already being realized.
Globally, we are witnessing the continuous emergence of automated and intelligent maritime infrastructure, stated Vaqas Samad, CEO of Lloyd's List Intelligence. He noted that China's practices represent the core direction of the shipping industry's future development, with the core extending beyond scale advantages and infrastructure levels to the deep integration of connectivity, technology, and intelligence.
From port operations to shipbuilding, and from safety regulation to rule-making, the benefits AI brings to the global shipping industry are being released across multiple dimensions, driving a deep restructuring of the global shipping landscape.
In recent years, with the rapid development of AI technology, industry focus on autonomous navigation vessels has significantly increased. At the China Classification Society exhibition area, a model of a green-electricity self-navigating cable-laying vessel attracted many visitors.
Zhao Changbin, Director of the Drawing Review Center at the China Classification Society Tianjin Branch, said that after introducing an AI path planning system, the cable-laying vessel's performance was significantly optimized, with daily cable-laying efficiency increasing by approximately 60% compared to traditional similar vessels.
In 2015, the China Classification Society released the world's first "Intelligent Ship Code." The latest revised "Intelligent Ship Code (2026)" officially came into effect in June this year.
Zhao Changbin explained that the new version adds rules for autonomous vessel access, establishes new intelligent operation clauses, and improves requirements for intelligent system cybersecurity, intelligent navigation, intelligent engine rooms, and intelligent cargo, among others, while simultaneously supporting multiple specialized inspection guidelines. This fully aligns with the future development trends of intelligent technology. The continuous improvement of the regulatory system further lowers the compliance threshold for implementing ship intelligence.
Beyond empowering scenarios such as vessel path planning, condition monitoring, autonomous driving, and collision avoidance, AI's value in safety regulation is equally prominent.
Recently, the Tianjin Maritime Safety Administration's intelligent dynamic prevention and control platform for shipborne dangerous goods and ship pollution risks issued a monitoring alert, automatically identifying a vessel named "AAA" carrying bulk liquid dangerous goods as high-risk. Law enforcement officers, referring to the risk level and prevention plan generated by the platform, rushed to the scene for verification and handling, achieving early identification and resolution of potential risks.
This platform, independently developed by the Tianjin Maritime Safety Administration, has officially begun trial operation. It integrates cutting-edge technologies such as AI, big data, risk assessment models, and 3D visualization, promoting the transformation of maritime dangerous goods and pollution prevention supervision towards "intelligent judgment, early warning, and precise prevention and control."
Christensen believes the core issue facing the shipping industry today is not whether AI will reshape the industry, but how to accelerate collaborative action to drive the transformation towards high standards and inclusive, equitable development.
She noted that China possesses a positive and favorable policy environment, having issued action plans that explicitly promote the digital upgrading of the shipping industry through AI. The current period is a window of opportunity for driving the industry's digital and green transformation.
I believe China has sufficient advantages to lead this round of industry transformation, said Samad. He added that future influence in the maritime domain will depend not only on industrial scale but also on who can build the most intelligent, interconnected, efficient, and trustworthy maritime ecosystem, and on who can deeply understand the pain points of the shipping industry and use AI to achieve automated upgrades.
First-time exhibitor China DataLink Logistics Information Co., Ltd. showcased its latest port and shipping logistics solutions. This data technology company integrates multimodal transport data from road, rail, sea, and air, using AI algorithms to help enterprises optimize transportation routes and reduce empty running rates.
Several Chinese and international participants at the expo expressed that the global shipping industry is currently at a critical window for AI technology implementation. They emphasized the future need to further deepen collaborative cooperation to jointly propel the shipping industry towards a smarter, zero-carbon future.
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