Risk has become an inescapable reality for global supply chains, with weather-related disruptions estimated to cost the industry $100 billion last year. At the same time, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and real-time data recordings are giving insurers, underwriters, business owners and claims professionals powerful new tools to navigate the unexpected, and protect assets moving across oceans.

We're not just entering a digital era for supply chains; we’re entering a data-driven one. In fact, a 2024 survey by Logistics Manager found that 97% of business leaders reported operational blind spots or inefficiencies in their supply chains last year, and nearly 40% pointed to a lack of quality data as a major obstacle to making accurate decisions.

At sea, risk is constant, but it no longer has to be unpredictable. We’re moving toward a future where decisions are smarter, responses are faster and outcomes are fairer for both insurers and insureds. 

In the claims administration space, these technologies are transforming how we respond to loss events, mitigate disruptions and determine liability. Cross loss, detailed claim histories, in particular, are reshaping how we understand real-time exposures and post-incident conditions. Whether applied to trucking fleets, marine cargo or intermodal shipments, advanced GPS tracking and sensor data provide visibility into a wealth of variables — from vessel speed, location and route deviations to battery surges, operating conditions and even weather at the time of an incident.

For underwriters working within the supply chain, this data can significantly sharpen risk assessments, allowing them to use historical telematics to analyze known patterns, determine operator behavior, assess geographic vulnerabilities and craft more responsive policies. However, collecting data is only the first step. The real challenge lies in how it’s interpreted, contextualized and acted upon. These technologies don’t remove the important role that humans play in the process. Data must be vetted by someone working firsthand on the project for accuracy, ensuring that its origins are understood and its legal use is properly defined. Without that, even the most sophisticated analytics engine can lead to misguided conclusions or claims exposure.

As a result of these enhanced capabilities, skill sets required by professionals to succeed in this evolving space are expanding rapidly. Traditional expertise in maritime operations and claims adjusting remains essential, but it must now be complemented by data literacy, analytical thinking and digital fluency. Professionals are increasingly expected to navigate AI dashboards, interpret loss run reports and collaborate with technical teams to make informed decisions. The ability to question data integrity and understand how insights were derived is becoming just as important as understanding core components like maritime law or hull classifications. 

Further, cross-functional communication skills are critical, as underwriters, claims professionals, IT specialists, risk managers and compliance officers must work together to fuse data, action and accountability. Today’s role blends analytical thinking with deep operational awareness, making it important to understand not just what happened, but why, and what the data says about the likelihood of it happening again.

AI, when layered on top of historical claim data, helps bridge gaps that might exist. With machine learning models, insurers can synthesize vast amounts of historical and real-time data to detect anomalies, automate damage assessments, and even simulate potential outcomes before they occur. When a route is disrupted or a shipment compromised, AI can immediately trigger alerts and initiate documentation, ensuring that claims teams have a more accurate picture more quickly than traditional methods would allow.

Privacy and data governance are also becoming critical talking points, especially when data is shared across multiple parties such as carriers, underwriters, claims teams, shippers and consignees. While some carriers or vessel owners treat data as proprietary, others may be required to share it under contractual obligations or regulatory frameworks. In multinational operations, the complexity only increases — data privacy laws, consent requirements and access rights can vary dramatically between countries, and even between states or provinces. Questions around data ownership, consent and access rights are already finding their way into litigation, and the courts may ultimately help define the future of data-led insurance decisions in marine and logistics coverage.

The key to success lies not just in adopting AI and detailed data, but fully integrating them into a broader risk ecosystem. That means breaking down silos between underwriting and claims, training professionals to extract insight from complex data streams, and building systems that support transparency, compliance and accountability.

Ultimately, AI-driven real-time data recordings eliminate uncertainty in the supply chain, while helping industry professionals respond with clarity, speed and foresight. When used responsibly, these technologies are setting a new standard for what proactive, intelligent supply chain risk management should look like.

Darin Miller is national marine manager at Sedgwick.