Revolution or Evolution? Challenges Posed by Autonomous Vessels for National and International Legal Framework

Abstract

The emergence of autonomous vessels raises considerable challenges from the legal perspective. Questions relate, inter alia, to their status (whether they can in fact be considered as a vessels), the possibility of their registration under respective flags, and the fulfillment of the requirements posed by international maritime law. This article commences with a short presentation of the current technological development of autonomous vessels. It discusses terminology issues, commenting on the assessments made on the International Maritime Organization’s forum. It continues with an attempt to accommodate autonomous vessels under the current legislative landscape, providing an analysis of chosen national laws as well as the international conventions.