AI report: These industries use artificial intelligence - and where manual labour is still indispensable
YACHT-Redaktion
· 30.09.2025
Text by Jörg Müller-Dünow
It is still utopia: a yacht sails the calculated track independently to the destination harbour, dodging squalls en route and adhering to the rules of the sea. The time of departure was calculated on the basis of weather and current data as well as the polar diagram. Four miles from the harbour, software reserves the calmest berth online, motors to the assigned box, keeps the yacht in place against the crosswind - all the owner has to do is deploy the lines.
Brave new world? Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), this scenario is no longer a dream of the future in purely technical terms. The only thing missing is a functioning network of systems. But there's no doubt about it: AI will soon have a profound impact on sailing.
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"By 2027, up to 25 per cent of routine activities worldwide could be automated," says AI expert Marcus Bastian, citing forecasts from the OECD and Goldman Sachs. "This development will affect lawyers as well as analysts and designers and will not stop at the yacht industry."
The field of possible applications is almost limitless. The teams in the America's Cup, for example, have long relied on machine learning (ML) and AI to optimise their boats. Raymarine's "Docksense" system is designed to enable automated mooring manoeuvres. Sunreef Yachts uses artificial intelligence to control solar and battery charging cycles. In marinas, AI is to take over the management of guest berths in future. Yacht dealers could use marketing automation software to systematise their approach to new prospective customers and increase resale opportunities with existing customers.
So where does sailing actually stand? "The industry is steeped in tradition and is certainly not one of the pioneers in the use of artificial intelligence," says AI expert Bastian. "But young companies in particular are driving development."
Supporting human crews, not replacing them
One example is Sea.AIThe company develops camera systems that detect and warn of floating objects in the water. Patrick Haebig , Business Developer for the EMEA region, explains: "Sea.AI is like an extra pair of eyes on board that don't blink and see clearly even in total darkness."
The field of vision is significantly wider than that of humans and there are no signs of fatigue. In the next expansion stage - in addition to the optical and thermal cameras - radar and AIS data will also be included in the hazard analysis by the software.
"Sea.AI is not intended to replace the human crew, but to support them," says Haebig, adding that the solution takes on the role of a lookout that continuously monitors the water surface, identifies objects and assesses whether an alarm needs to be triggered. Even the blow of a whale, which is only visible for a few seconds as a thin mist above the water, is recognised.
The internal database from which the AI learns stores more than 150 million images of potential sources of danger. "Artificial intelligence will play an important role in yachting," promises Haebig, emphasising: "AI must be transparent, supportive and user-friendly." Sea.AI Incidentally, the company does not focus solely on the leisure market: its products are also used for sea rescue or by government vessels, for example to locate people in the water.
Relieving the burden on human intelligence
Yachtino is taking a much more down-to-earth approach to AI technology. The company behind portals such as Yachtall.com or Happycharter.com wants to automatically optimise its users' search results by the end of the year. "We want to know which boat the customer will buy before they know it themselves," says CEO Carsten Rettig. "Our software should learn what the user is looking for and which criteria are important to them, and then provide them with individual offers that precisely match their search behaviour."
In the luxury segment, on the other hand, the trusting relationship between customer and advisor is paramount. Stuart Isaacs, Marketing Director at charter and brokerage house Ocean Independence, explains: "We use artificial intelligence to support human intelligence, but mainly for administrative-intensive tasks that have traditionally taken up a lot of our consultants' time."
Software is intended to take the pressure off brokers so that they can concentrate on acquisition, relationship building and customer care. "As people are at the centre of yachting, efficiency must not come at the expense of personal relationships. However, we are still figuring out the smartest way to use AI and how to introduce it into the organisation without unintended consequences. Although we see a lot of potential, we are cautious," says Isaacs.
Different levels of maturity in the industry
Hanseyachts, for example, currently uses AI primarily in administration. Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT provide support with texts, analyses and presentations. In marketing, the shipyard relies on the automated production of advertising materials and their distribution.
"AI-supported analyses and dashboards are used in various departments to speed up data-based decisions," says Hanse CEO Hanjo Runde. The experience has been positive: "Many routine tasks are automated, which frees up employees for more strategic tasks. Thanks to AI-supported analyses, relevant information is available more quickly," Runde continues.
Automation and better resource planning also lead to savings and more targeted communication. Nevertheless, the Greifswald experts know: "New organisational requirements are also emerging. For example, in terms of expertise in dealing with AI tools or data protection and governance," says Runde.
Runde also sees a need for interaction with the sales organisations: "The level of maturity among our retail partners varies. Some retailers are already using AI-based tools for customer communication or lead management independently, while others are still at the beginning of this development."
Benefit from the thinking and computing power of the computer brain
At Bavaria Yachts in Giebelstadt, automation has so far also been limited to administration. "The production processes are still very much characterised by craftsmanship. There is still a lot of manual labour," explains Bavaria press spokesman Marcus Schlichting.
The shipyards' partners are already one step ahead: AI tools are standard in yacht design, for example. Where physical models were used for testing in the past, hydrodynamic simulations and digital twins of future hull shapes are now used to test the performance of new models.
Judel/Vrolijk CEO Johan Siefer explains: "Tools for data analysis and image processing are used in yacht design." An important focus here is on analysing large data series. For aero- or hydrodynamic calculations, the Bremerhaven-based company uses prompts and processes developed in-house based on OpenAI and thus benefits from the thinking and computing power of the computer brain.
Creativity is hardly possible without the human element
The potential for the use of AI in shipyards seems almost limitless. The first manufacturers are testing camera-based AI systems that detect defects and irregularities in the fibre fabric before resin infusion starts. AI-controlled precision robotic arms position composite layers and components. The warehouse software can calculate consumption forecasts and automatically reorder materials. However, this is still a dream of the future for the large German series shipyards.
"The production processes are still very much characterised by craftsmanship - there is still a lot of manual work involved."
Yacht designer Lorenzo Argento, who has already designed for Beneteau and Y-Yachts, adds: "AI has a massive influence on all of our work." The most realistic possible visualisation of yacht designs and details is part of Argento's core business. "We use some tools for generative image creation that are powerful and incredibly fast." His customers often find it difficult to understand two-dimensional plan drawings. This results in a desire for photorealistic images. Generative AI is a real help here, says the designer: "You can play with the results in real time." At the same time, he points out the limitations of AI: "These tools only ever reproduce what is already known." To be truly creative from the ground up, you always need the human component and creation.
AI in everyday life on board
In the everyday life of sailors, AI primarily influences the use of on-board electronics and harbour infrastructure. In a new solution, the start-up Predict Wind combines weather and performance data from the respective boat to determine precise routings. To do this, an AI in the NMEA black box analyses the yacht's performance data while sailing and creates "AI Polars" from the collected information. These not only reflect the theoretical speed potential, but also the individual data from sailing practice. This is because the standard polar diagram from the shipyard does not take into account the abilities of the sailing crew.
Electronics start-up Orca is also integrating AI functionalities into its software. "A key area is the improvement of weather models, where AI can increase accuracy," says co-founder and CEO Jorge Sevillano. Orca is also working on optimising routing recommendations and predicting maintenance intervals based on AI. The in-house product developers themselves use AI in the development process, Sevillano continues: "Artificial intelligence is already a fundamental part of our products and processes."
"The berth is booked via an app and paid for online. The app guides the customer to their berth, where they check in online."
Unstaffed harbour operations to improve the quality of customer service
The German software company Up2Boat develops systems for marina management. Founder Andreas Haberer explains what will soon be possible: "The berth is booked via an app and paid for online. The app directs the customer to their berth, where they check in online. After checking in, they can activate their power column and the electricity consumption is added to their collective bill. With a valid booking, the access control to the jetty and the sanitary facilities is opened and the washing machine is started. Once the booking period has ended, the software deactivates all accesses. If necessary, the harbour operator can use his tablet to open doors, switch on the jetty lighting or activate electricity from his sofa at home."
UP2Boat simulates this operation using the "digital twin" a real marina. The goal: unstaffed harbour operations. "We want to create space so that the harbour master can take care of the well-being of the customers first and the rather tedious day-to-day business runs automatically in the background," says Haberer.
Another prototype deals with capacity utilisation forecasts in marinas based on the previous year's occupancy data, holiday dates, weather information or events in the vicinity. This provides harbour operators with information for their personnel planning, restaurant and shop occupancy rates, allowing them to target the more profitable yachts and avoid having to market their berths via external booking portals.
AI is also becoming central in the maritime sector
The port group Port Adhoc, with marinas in France, the Netherlands and Sweden, uses artificial intelligence primarily for data analysis in the financial sector. In addition to saving time, the company hopes to gain new insights into its business. "In general, I expect faster, more comprehensive and more complex data models that give companies more insight into their business," says Jorin Bijl, Managing Director Port Adhoc Nederland. "I also expect a temporary increase in data errors, as AI is prone to interpretation errors without sound prompting." Careful monitoring is currently required to ensure that data analysis is not distorted. But: "I expect artificial intelligence to improve rapidly in the coming years, so that this challenge will diminish."
Regardless of the sector: "Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly central to our industry," expects Philip Easthill, Secretary General of the Brussels-based European Boat Industry Association (EBI).
Karsten Stahlhut, Managing Director of the German Maritime Industry Association, sees clear benefits for the industry in the future use of AI: "Efficiency will improve and could fill gaps here and there in the shortage of skilled labour. After all, our association has many small and medium-sized companies where the boss himself is the workshop, accounting, marketing - all in one."
"The claim must not be that AI will completely replace humans - the experienced skipper remains at the helm."
These companies in particular could benefit greatly from AI, as every minute of bureaucracy saved could be utilised for more productive services, says Stahlhut. "That's why I don't expect staffing levels to change significantly - they will anyway due to demographics. AI has come at just the right time."
Despite all the optimism, Philip Easthill also sees challenges: "AI requires investment in digital skills and infrastructure." The aspects of security, data protection and compliance also deserve clear attention. "Who bears responsibility for AI errors? How do providers protect their smart systems from hacks? And one question must be at the top of the agenda, especially at sea: Can I really rely blindly on AI?" says AI expert Marcus Bastian, putting his finger on the problem. "The claim must not be that AI completely replaces humans - the experienced skipper remains at the helm."
