South Korea’s Hyundai Glovis is preparing to launch the world’s first AI-controlled autonomous car carrier ships. The company is investing billions to bring artificial intelligence onto the high seas.
South Korea’s Hyundai Glovis is set to deploy the world’s first car carrier ships equipped with artificial intelligence-driven autonomous navigation. This marks a new chapter in commercial shipping: AI has until now been confined to small-scale trials and experimental voyages.
Working with Avikus, the autonomous vessel subsidiary of HD Hyundai, Glovis plans to retrofit seven of its pure car and truck carriers with Level-2 Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS) platforms by mid-2026. The system, branded as HiNAS, provides real-time AI route optimization and partial remote control. While not fully unmanned, it allows vessels to make navigation decisions on their own.
“An autonomous ship is particularly effective for PCTCs, which operate on long-haul, point-to-point routes linking Asia to Europe or North America,” a Glovis official said.
One of the first ships slated for the upgrade is the Sunrise, a 229.9-meter vessel capable of carrying 7,000 vehicles. At nearly 100,000 tons, it is said to become the largest ship in the world outfitted with AI-driven autonomy.
Industry analysts note that while competitors in Japan and Europe have experimented with smart navigation, Glovis’ program is the first to roll out integrated decision-making systems on multiple vessels. “While competitors have added what amounts to smart navigation, Glovis is effectively giving ships the ability to make decisions and optimize performance on their own,” said a shipping analyst familiar with the project.
Avikus has been building toward this moment since 2022, when it completed the first transatlantic voyage by an LNG carrier using autonomous navigation. The company has since expanded partnerships with shipping lines including Sinokor and H-Line. It is now aiming for Level-3 and Level-4 autonomy, which would enable full unmanned operation as early as 2027.
Hyundai Glovis has committed 9 trillion won, about US$6.5 billion, through 2030 to transform itself into a smart logistics solutions company. The investment is a broader trend among South Korea’s industrial groups to bring artificial intelligence into legacy sectors. Although Glovis and Avikus belong to different branches of the Hyundai family, their collaboration shows the convergence of shipping and advanced technology.
Whether the initiative delivers long-term disruption remains uncertain. Some observers question the risks of depending on external software developers and the readiness of regulators to approve widespread autonomous operations. Still, Glovis believes the technology could bring major benefits in fuel efficiency, safety, and cost savings.
If successful, the project is said to redefine global maritime logistics and establish Hyundai Glovis as the first operator to place artificial intelligence at the center of large-scale ocean shipping.
