Against the backdrop of the Athens Riviera, members of the Greek maritime community gathered at the One&Only Aesthesis for an event hosted by Orca AI titled “Navigating the Future with AI – Digital Innovation for Real Gains and Smarter Fleets”. The event set out to move beyond speculation and pilot projects, focusing instead on the measurable ways AI is already reshaping ship operations and safety culture at sea.
Moderator Edwin Lampert of Riviera Maritime Media framed the discussions around evidence rather than promise. “This isn’t about distant futures,” he said. “It’s about the tangible results being realised today – safer navigation, sharper decision-making and measurable fleet performance.”
The programme kicked off with perspectives from class society Bureau Veritas and Athens-based bulk-carrier owner Sea Traders SA before turning to Orca AI CEO Yarden Gross, whose presentation connected those real-world experiences to the broader trajectory of AI adoption and autonomous operations.
Data proving safety impact
Gross opened with a blunt message. “Everyone here probably uses ChatGPT,” he said, “so we all see how fast AI is entering daily life. The same shift is happening in shipping.”
He presented validated findings from a landmark study with the P&I club NorthStandard, covering data equivalent to eight million nautical miles from over 100 container vessels. Within the first year of platform adoption, the number of high-severity near-misses per vessel dropped by 58% across a NorthStandard-insured fleet. “These results were verified by insurers whose business is risk,” he said. “AI isn’t theoretical – it’s creating safety impact right now.” (....)