Michael Hochberg

How AI, Autonomous Systems, and Strategic Competition Are Reshaping Maritime Security and the Future of Global Trade

For two centuries, global shipping has operated on a foundational assumption: that the oceans are vast, difficult to monitor, and ultimately made safe by naval power. That assumption is no longer valid.

In this provocative talk, Dr. Michael Hochberg examines how AI, autonomous systems, satellite sensing, and cheap unmanned platforms are rapidly changing the structure of maritime power and global trade security. Drawing on the war in Ukraine, shipping attacks in the Hormuz and Red Sea, and emerging developments in autonomous naval warfare, Hochberg explores how technologies once limited to major powers are becoming accessible to smaller actors, non-state groups, and commercial competitors.

The presentation also examines the broader geopolitical implications of the AI revolution itself, arguing that computing power, industrial capacity, and technological ecosystems are becoming central to national power, alliance structures, and economic competition. From maritime domain awareness and strategic infrastructure to deepfakes, logistics disruption, and autonomous commerce raiding, this talk connects emerging technology directly to the future operating environment facing governments, militaries, insurers, ports, and global shipping firms.

This is not a theoretical future discussion. It is a practical examination of how AI is already reshaping deterrence, security, trust, and the economics of global trade.

Attendee Results:

• Understand how AI, autonomous systems, and maritime drones are changing the economics and structure of naval power.
• Examine how geopolitical competition increasingly operates through technology ecosystems, industrial capacity, and computing power.
• Understand the implications of autonomous systems and AI-enabled conflict for commercial shipping, ports, insurers, and global supply chains.
• Learn how deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-generated communications are creating new security and trust vulnerabilities across global commerce.
• Gain insight into why the future of strategic competition will increasingly be shaped by the fusion of economic systems, security systems, and AI infrastructure.