Welcome back to another week of all things tech in maritime. This week, we’re discussing how you utilise AI on a personal level that expands beyond simple ChatGPT prompts. We’ll also do a quick round-up on all of the best tech news from the last 7 days. Let’s dive in…

This week, I spoke with Ramon Gutierrez, a chartering manager and shipping broker with over 20 years of experience in the maritime industry. Currently working for Noatum Maritime, part of AD Ports Group, Ramon has taken a proactive approach in tackling the repetitive tasks that plague our industry. Through self-directed learning and experimentation, he's created his own AI Chartering Agent, which is what we discussed this week.

AI is one of the fastest-growing technologies the globe has seen to date, even in an industry like maritime (which is notorious for the slow uptake in new technology), is evolving to embrace the use of AI in both work and everyday life.

AI has become revolutionary by its unique capability to give every user the opportunity to access and create tools with no technical knowledge. 

However, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking, on a personal level, AI and ChatGPT are one and the same, that all we have access to as individuals are AI chatbots that can draft emails and check for grammatical errors, but AI can be so much more than that.

In this digital age, it’s astounding that we don’t have any understanding on what we should be paying for IT. It seems as though every vendor creates a custom price from buyer to buyer so how can you find out if you’re overpaying for your fleet IT?

The Thetius IT Cost Benchmarking Club takes the guesswork out of maritime technology spending. Thetius analyses your costs, compares them anonymously with other shipowners, and gives you clear insights into whether you're getting good value. Because in an industry that's rapidly becoming more digitalised by the day, transparency is key!

Check it out here

Ramon taught himself how to create and implement a full AI Chartering Manager through self-directed learning in his personal time. He built upon his existing knowledge with online resources like YouTube and has created an impressive AI Agent. 

Although Ramon is constantly refining and improving his Agent, his current version has already yielded impressive results, "I ended up having a full set-up of an AI agent that can reduce my workload by around five to seven hours per week."

What makes Ramon's story particularly inspiring is that he's not some tech genius with years of coding experience behind him. He's a shipping professional who recognised a problem and decided to solve it himself. 

So, what does Ramon do with all of this newly created free-time? The important things: “I focus on my clients, on charterparties, on socialising with counterparties. Apart from that, I gain the time to sit and think; think about what's next.”

The benefits of AI shouldn’t simply be measured on how much time can be saved by automating remedial tasks, rather the successes achieved through having more time to focus on critical activities. 

While AI can be a great tool for streamlining processes and increasing productivity, some organisations are still resistant to embrace this new phenomenon. From accuracy concerns to fears over job security - the list of excuses is long.

However, the harsh reality is that the organisations that don’t adapt will be surpassed by their competitors. Ramon summarised this perfectly: "Companies that don't embrace AI will die in the next few years."

For maritime professionals stuck in organisations resistant to change, Ramon offers some practical advice. When we discussed working within restrictive corporate environments, he was refreshingly candid about his own approach. "[The AI Chartering Agent] I have developed, I didn't create using the company resources…I used my personal laptop," he explained. The results speak for themselves - "at the end of the day, it has benefited my employer."

For those facing outright AI resistance, Ramon offered some bold advice “Use it and don't tell anyone." You can’t let your organisation dictate your personal development.

Ramon’s proactive approach in harnessing AI serves as a prime example of why leadership teams must create a supportive environment for tech exploration. Ramon’s creativity has significantly reduced his repetitive workload, with support from leadership, these benefits could be seen across an entire organisation.

And that’s all for another week of tech insights. I’ll see you back here next week, same time, same place! In the meantime, I’ll be off building AI Agents like Ramon, Ailsa