The Yangshan Maritime Safety Administration unveiled AI-Powered Yangshan VTS Genie, the world's first AI-based maritime safety risk management system, at the recent North Bund Forum in Shanghai.

AI-Powered Yangshan VTS Genie is released at the 2026 North Bund Forum. [Photo/North Bund Forum]

As a key hub in Shanghai's development as an international shipping center and global logistics and supply chains, Yangshan Deep-Water Port handles more than 1,000 vessel movements daily across a dense network of shipping routes.

Yangshan VTS Genie introduces an integrated risk management framework covering shipping routes, navigation rights, and navigation practices. Using digital algorithms, it can plan routes scientifically, coordinate vessel movements dynamically, and set measurable standards for safe navigation.

The system provides five core functions: early detection and closed-loop management of collision risks; real-time tracking and timely intervention in abnormal situations; guidance for safe navigation; coordinated management of maritime traffic; and intelligent navigation services. Its open, adaptable architecture is designed to support a future in which autonomous and conventional vessels operate side by side.

To date, Yangshan VTS Genie has secured three national invention patents and seven software copyrights, supported by a corpus of 3 million maritime risk events and a dataset of 500,000 simulated, annotated cases. 

Its work has gained recognition from the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation, providing a significant reference for the revisions to the IALA Guideline on the Use of Decision Support Tools for VTS Personnel.