AI Tool Scans Shipping Containers to Stop Deadly Fires

A new AI tool is joining the fight to stop deadly fires on cargo ships, which have reached their highest level in over a decade. Misdeclared dangerous goods—like chemicals or batteries packed but not listed—are a leading cause of these fires. The *Maersk Marie* and *Wan Hai 503* are recent examples where fires spread rapidly, costing lives and destroying ships.

The World Shipping Council, representing over 70% of global shipping capacity, is rolling out this AI screening tool as part of its Cargo Safety Program. The tool uses AI to scan millions of shipping bookings in real time, looking for risky patterns, keywords, or trade anomalies that humans might miss. It’s designed to catch misdeclared or undeclared hazardous items before they’re loaded, giving crews and vessels a fighting chance.

But it’s not a magic fix. The AI works alongside human inspectors—alerts get reviewed, and risky shipments are physically checked before approval. The program also shares lessons from past fires to keep improving. Still, shippers remain responsible for accurate declarations; the AI is just an extra safety net.

This isn’t the first time AI has helped in shipping. A similar effort to educate crews about container collapses helped reduce lost cargo overboard. Now, the industry is betting on AI to tackle another deadly threat—keeping ships, crews, and the environment safer.