Modern Ghost Ships: How Autonomous Vessels Are Writing the Future

An autonomous voyage of the Yara Birkeland as it travels through a Norwegian fjord, demonstrating zero-emission short-sea shipping. Photo Credit: Yara International

For most of human history, ships were only as capable as the people aboard them. No matter how advanced the technology was for its time, a vessel’s success depended on the seamanship, discipline, and instincts of its crew. In the age of sail, entire crews worked in constant coordination to maneuver canvas, trim sails, defend the ship, and keep the vessel repaired across long voyages. Even when the Industrial Revolution introduced steam engines, boilers, and iron hulls, it didn’t change the basic truth: ships needed people. Engine rooms required teams of firemen and engineers. Navigation demanded trained officers studying charts, weather patterns, and celestial markers. Communication relied on specialists who handled signals and early radio equipment. And when things went wrong at sea, only the crew could fight fires, patch hulls, or improvise repairs.

That long history is part of why today’s developments in shipping feel so different. We are witnessing something that would have been unimaginable to seafarers even fifty years ago: the rise of ships that can operate without anyone on board. These are not ghost ships in the supernatural sense. They are engineered, deliberate vessels built to travel, navigate, and complete voyages using artificial intelligence, electric propulsion, and remote monitoring. They represent a major technological leap, but also a break from the long-standing relationship between people and the sea.

The Yara Birkeland docked in Norway, highlighting its fully electric design and sensor-equipped bridge. Photo Credit: Yara International / VARD / Marin Teknikk

To understand this shift, you really need to look at the Yara Birkeland. This ship is often called the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container vessel, and it represents a huge change in how maritime transport works. According to Yara International, the ship was designed to move fertilizer between Herøya and Brevik while dramatically cutting emissions by eliminating “40,000 truck journeys every year” (Yara International, 2023a). That alone is a major environmental win. Instead of relying on diesel trucks clogging up the road, the ship uses a 7 MWh battery system and electric propulsion to make the journey quietly and cleanly.

But the real shock is that it does this with significantly reduced crew involvement and is steadily moving toward autonomy. The vessel uses radar, lidar, cameras, GPS systems, and machine-learning software to navigate without the traditional set of hands at the helm. BBC News reported that in 2022 it completed its first supervised autonomous voyage, making it one of the first commercial ships in the world to do so (“World’s first autonomous ship completes voyage,” 2023). And in Yara’s own two-year progress update, the company said the ship continues to expand its autonomous capabilities, with the long-term goal of “fully autonomous operations as regulations permit” (Yara International, 2023b).

Arnold & Itkin LLP describes how today’s autonomous ships are “capable of completing entire voyages using AI, radar, lidar, and camera systems” and that many companies are moving toward reducing or even removing crews (Arnold & Itkin LLP, 2023). Dassault Systèmes explains that modern autonomous vessels use “machine learning, advanced sensors, and digital twins” to plan routes, avoid obstacles, and understand the environment around them (Dassault Systèmes, 2023). These aren’t small upgrades. They represent a complete redesign of how maritime navigation works. They shift decision-making from experienced mariners to automated systems that can process massive amounts of data faster than any human could.

And honestly, all of this is impressive. The engineering behind ships like the Yara Birkeland is something you can’t help but appreciate if you’re interested in maritime technology or naval history. The idea of a vessel traveling on electric power, reducing emissions, and using advanced sensors to steer itself seems so fictional. The environmental benefits alone are significant. The innovation is remarkable. And from a technological standpoint, it’s hard not to admire the progress.

But even with all that said, I still think about the workers. Maritime work has been a vital part of global trade and national economies for centuries. Entire communities are built around seafaring. Families pass down this profession through generations. And the skills required to work at sea such as: navigation, engineering, maintenance, and watchstanding are not just technical abilities, but parts of a culture. Crew members don’t just operate a vessel but rather become part of its identity. So when I see ships that don’t need crews at all, I can’t help wondering what that means for the future of maritime labor.

Maritime workers handling mooring lines on a traditional crewed container ship, representing the human labor at the core of global shipping. Photo Credit: Maersk / PSA Singapore

One major concern is employment. If ships begin operating autonomously, what happens to the tens of thousands of people whose livelihoods comes from working at sea? Even if autonomous vessels only take over short coastal routes at first, companies would obviously want to expand that autonomy to larger routes, especially if it saves money.

Another concern is safety. Advocates of autonomous vessels often argue that removing crews reduces human error, which is a major cause of accidents. And that may be true. But human presence on a ship isn’t just about preventing errors; it’s about responding to emergencies. When something breaks unexpectedly at sea, a trained crew can act immediately. They can isolate electrical faults, patch leaks, operate fire suppression equipment, and manage damage control. An unmanned vessel cannot. If a system fails, the ship is alone. Remote intervention has limits, especially if communication systems are down.

A cargo vessel at sea alongside a digital graphic illustrating cybersecurity risks facing modern autonomous and connected ships. Photo Credit:  Industry Press

Cybersecurity also becomes a major factor. The more a ship relies on digital systems, the more it becomes vulnerable to hacking, signal interference, or data corruption. Arnold & Itkin LLP also mentioned concerns about cybersecurity risks and the challenge of determining liability when an autonomous system fails (Arnold & Itkin LLP, 2023). A ship without people is essentially a floating computer. That’s exciting in some ways, but it also opens up risks that traditional ships never had to consider.

Beyond safety and employment, there’s the question of tradition and identity. Maritime work has shaped cultures for centuries, from fishing villages to naval academies. Replacing crews with algorithms feels like a fundamental shift. It raises questions about what we lose when humans stop sailing ships altogether.

Personally, I think the technology is incredibly cool. I’m fascinated by the engineering and the environmental impact. But I’m also worried about the workers in the future. I’m not against progress, but I can’t ignore what it might cost. And to be honest, I don’t know the right answer. I don’t know if fully autonomous ships are the direction we should go in, or if there’s a middle ground where technology helps without replacing the people who have always kept the maritime world running.

I think this is one of those issues where the real answer isn’t obvious. The sources show the benefits. They show the capabilities. But they also show the risks, and they hint at the complicated decisions ahead. To me, the goal of writing about this isn’t to pick a side, but to think about the question honestly. As more autonomous ships enter service, society will have to decide what matters most: efficiency and environmental impact, or preserving the human presence that has defined seafaring for thousands of years.

Right now, I don’t think anyone fully knows what the future will look like. All we can do is pay attention to the changes, look at the evidence, and think seriously about what we gain and what we might lose. The rise of modern ghost ships is fascinating, but it also forces us to confront the possibility that the maritime world may be entering a chapter where ships no longer need crews at all. Whether that is good or bad is something we’re all going to have to consider carefully as the technology continues to develop.

References

Arnold & Itkin LLP. (2023). Cargo ships that drive themselves: Fake or future? https://www.arnolditkin.com/blog/maritime/cargo-ships-that-drive-themselves-fake-or-future/

BBC. (2023). World’s first autonomous ship completes voyage. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64875319

Dassault Systèmes. (2023). The rise of autonomous ships. https://blog.3ds.com/industries/marine-offshore/the-rise-of-autonomous-ships/

Yara International. (2023a). A game changer for the environment. https://www.yara.com/knowledge-grows/game-changer-for-the-environment/

Yara International. (2023b). Yara Birkeland: Two years on. https://www.yara.com/knowledge-grows/yara-birkeland-two-years-on/