AI 'Credit Score' for Ships Targets Global 'Dark Fleet'

LONDON, UK – January 06, 2026 – In a move aimed at casting a bright light on the shadowy corners of global shipping, maritime intelligence firm Pole Star Global today launched its Maritime Transparency Index (MTI). The new system uses machine learning to assign vessels a credit-style risk score, promising to transform the complex, often manual, process of vetting ships into a near-instant verdict on their operational transparency.

The MTI assigns a simple 0-to-5 rating—from “Hard Dark” to “Transparent”—to over 40,000 commercial vessels, representing 80% of the active global fleet. This score distills vast and complex datasets on a ship's history, ownership, and real-time behavior into a single, intuitive number. The goal is to provide port authorities, insurers, charterers, and compliance teams with a clear, immediate assessment of a vessel's potential risk, much like a financial credit score assesses an individual's creditworthiness.

A New Weapon Against Illicit Shipping

The launch comes at a critical time. The world's oceans have become a critical theater for geopolitical maneuvering and illicit trade, facilitated by a growing “shadow fleet” of vessels operating outside international law. These ships frequently engage in deceptive shipping practices to evade sanctions, transport illicit goods, or conduct illegal fishing. Estimates suggest this fleet has swelled to include over 10% of the world's oil tankers, primarily to circumvent sanctions against nations like Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Key tactics used by these operators include “going dark” by disabling their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders, which are mandatory for collision avoidance and tracking. More sophisticated methods involve AIS spoofing, where false location data is broadcast to create “ghost ships” and mask illicit activities like covert ship-to-ship transfers. These vessels often obscure their ownership through complex webs of shell companies and frequently switch their flag registrations to jurisdictions with lax oversight, a practice known as “flag hopping.”

The consequences extend beyond undermining international sanctions. These poorly maintained, often uninsured older vessels pose a significant safety and environmental hazard, increasing the risk of collisions and catastrophic oil spills. Pole Star Global's MTI is designed to counter these practices by systematically analyzing the very behaviors that characterize illicit operations.

How AI Decodes Maritime Risk

The power of the Maritime Transparency Index lies in its proprietary machine learning algorithm, which continuously analyzes data across three core pillars.

First, the Vessel Score examines a ship's structural and historical risk. It considers factors like the vessel's age, the frequency of ownership changes, its flag history, past port detentions, and any recorded safety or operational deficiencies. A ship that has frequently changed flags or owners in a short period may be flagged as having an opaque history.

Second, the Vessel Position score scrutinizes AIS data for signs of manipulation. The algorithm is trained to detect reporting gaps, identifying how often a vessel has gone dark, for how long, and in what geographic areas. It also flags instances of potential AIS spoofing, a hallmark of deliberate deception.

Finally, the Voyage Score analyzes a ship's behavior during transit. It flags anomalies such as unusual loitering patterns, deviations from expected routes, unexplained slow steaming, and suspicious ship-to-ship transfers, particularly in high-risk zones. By synthesizing these elements, the MTI aims to deliver a holistic and dynamic risk profile that updates as a vessel's behavior changes.

Saleem Khan, Chief Data & Analytics Officer of Pole Star Global, commented on the system's strategic value. “Maritime Transparency Index represents a fundamental shift in how the industry approaches vessel risk assessment,” he stated. “By combining machine learning and advanced analytics with 25 years of maritime intelligence expertise, we've created a tool that's as powerful as it is simple to use. MTI applies credit-style scoring to maritime operations, transforming complex data patterns into clear, actionable scores that give compliance teams, flag states, and ship owners a common language for transparency.”

While Pole Star Global is leveraging its extensive history, it enters a competitive space where firms like Windward and Lloyd's List Intelligence also offer sophisticated AI-driven risk analytics. However, MTI's explicit framing as a simple “credit score” is a deliberate strategy to make complex risk assessment universally accessible and immediately actionable for non-specialist teams in finance and compliance.

The Price of Transparency: Reshaping Maritime Economics

The introduction of a standardized transparency score is poised to have significant economic repercussions, potentially creating a two-tiered market that financially rewards compliance and penalizes opacity.

For ship owners and operators with high MTI scores, the benefits could be substantial. Marine insurers, who are increasingly adopting data-driven underwriting models, are likely to offer lower premiums for vessels with a proven track record of transparency and low-risk behavior. A high score could also unlock premium charter rates from cargo owners and logistics firms who prioritize supply chain integrity and are averse to the reputational and financial risks of associating with non-compliant vessels.

Furthermore, high-scoring ships may experience smoother port operations. Port State Control officers, armed with pre-arrival risk assessments, can focus their inspection resources on high-risk vessels, allowing compliant ships to pass through with fewer delays and reduced fees. This creates a powerful commercial incentive for fleet owners to invest in transparent operations.

Conversely, vessels with low MTI scores will likely face a host of economic disadvantages. They can expect higher insurance costs, intensified scrutiny from port authorities leading to costly delays, and difficulty securing charters from top-tier clients. For financial institutions involved in trade finance, a low MTI score could serve as a major red flag, triggering enhanced due diligence or the denial of services altogether.

Navigating the Future of Regulation and Trust

The MTI aligns with a broader global push for greater maritime accountability. Regulatory bodies like the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have been escalating their efforts to combat the shadow fleet. In late 2023, the IMO adopted a resolution urging member states to enhance inspections of ships suspected of intentionally disabling their tracking systems or concealing their identity. Tools that can systematically and objectively identify such vessels are becoming indispensable for effective enforcement.

As with any proprietary AI system handling critical risk assessments, the long-term success of the MTI will hinge on its reliability, accuracy, and the industry's trust in its methodology. While Pole Star Global's 25-year history provides a deep well of data for its algorithms, the system will need to prove its mettle in the real world, demonstrating its ability to accurately predict risk without inherent biases. Independent validation and adoption by major industry players will be crucial milestones in establishing its credibility as a new industry standard. The MTI represents not just a technological advancement but a significant step towards a future where transparency is no longer optional but a fundamental and measurable component of maritime commerce.