Does AI replace a marine surveyor?
No. Image analysis can support screening, organisation and documentation. Qualified assessment, survey scope and acceptance requirements remain separate responsibilities.
A deployment should identify who reviews findings and who is authorised to decide the next action. Read the defect review.
Can photographs establish remaining hull thickness?
Not by visual appearance alone. Thickness assessment requires an appropriate measurement method and competent interpretation under the applicable inspection arrangements.
Rust colour, texture and visible coating loss are not direct measurements of remaining steel.
What does a model confidence score mean?
It is a model-specific output associated with a proposed label. It is not automatically a calibrated probability, a severity measure or a probability of structural failure.
Ask how the score was validated, what threshold was selected and how results change under realistic capture conditions.
Does no flag mean no defect?
No. Missing coverage, poor visibility, unsupported defect classes and false negatives can all leave genuine conditions unflagged.
The report should distinguish an examined surface with no reported indication from an unobserved or unsuitable surface. Read the coverage guide.
Can underwater inspection replace dry docking?
Only where the applicable survey arrangements permit the proposed method and the relevant accepting parties agree. The availability of an ROV or AI system does not establish acceptance.
Agree the scope, capture method, personnel and evidence requirements before relying on the proposed inspection.
What should we request during a supplier trial?
Request representative imagery, independent review, documented label definitions, false-positive and false-negative analysis, model versioning, coverage limitations and an exportable evidence package.
Include difficult and unflagged examples. A demonstration consisting only of selected successful detections does not reveal operational limitations.
Who should own the images and inspection records?
Ownership, licences, access, retention, export and permitted model-training use should be agreed contractually before collection. Technical access does not itself establish ownership.
Address subcontractors, platform termination and confidential vessel information. Read the records guide.
How should repeat inspections be compared?
Use stable vessel and location references, comparable coverage and documented capture conditions. Separate genuine condition changes from changes in lighting, cleaning or model version.
Keep the original review history. A new model result should not silently replace the earlier evidence.
What should trigger further examination?
An unresolved or potentially significant indication, insufficient evidence, contradictory observations or an applicable inspection requirement may justify escalation. The responsible competent parties must determine the response.
Record the owner and intended follow-up rather than leaving the finding in an unassigned queue. Read the maintenance pathway.