The global shipping industry is turning to artificial intelligence to try to cut the number of deadly fires at sea, which hit a decade-high in 2024 thanks to the growing number of cargoes containing batteries and other flammable materials. The failure of shipping agents to declare dangerous goods — either accidentally or to avoid higher fees for hazardous cargo — was the biggest reason for the rise in fires, said the World Shipping Council, the industry body that is launching a programme to detect offenders. A new AI-powered tool will scan millions of bookings in real time, using pattern recognition and algorithms to identify risks. These will be flagged to carriers who can carry out physical inspections if necessary. WSC chief executive Joe Kramek announced the scheme at the start of London International Shipping Week on Monday, adding that carriers accounting for 70 per cent of global container freight capacity had opted to join.

Full report : Failure to declare dangerous goods and ever bigger ships mean fires are more common and harder to put out.