ABSTRACT
Autonomous ships are on the brink of launching onto international voyages; the technology is already in place, and the phenomenon will very shortly be a reality. Luis Benito, head of Strategy Innovation at Lloyd’s Register, has said that all ships could be automated without any exceptions, developing the experience that has already been achieved with coastal shipping. But what are the implications for the Master in international operations, commanding the vessel from a computer console maybe thousands of miles away? This chapter addresses the key issues, which have been the subject of very difficult discussions already within the IMO and among international maritime agencies, as well as lawyers. Risk management and responsibility is analysed according to current law, which exposes the fault lines that must be overcome in order to face up to the risks that will accompany the Master’s criminalisation in the management of autonomous ships.
