Instructors’ Perspectives on AI in Maritime Simulator Training: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Simulator-based training has long been a cornerstone of maritime education and training, where human instructors play a central role in designing and implementing effective training strategies. However, as technological innovation advances, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly embedded across maritime operations and learning environments, with emerging applications ranging from collision avoidance, forecasting and predictive analytics to adaptive learning. These developments raise important questions about the role of human instructors in simulator-based training with AI. In this context, this study aims to explore maritime instructors’ perceptions of AI integration in simulator-based training and develops a conceptual framework centred on perceived usefulness, psychological safety, and social embeddedness. Accordingly, we aim to answer the following research questions: (1) How do instructors perceive their professional identity with AI-integrated simulator training? (2) What boundaries do instructors envision regarding AI uses in simulator-based training? and (3) What factors facilitate the use of AI into simulator-based training in future? To address these research questions, we conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with twelve experts in simulator-based training. Data was analysed using thematic analysis approach, grounded in instructors’ anticipatory perceptions of the use of AI in their professional training practice. The data analysis reveals that AI has potential to alleviate instructor’s workload in designing, implementing and assessing instructional practice. However, our informants consistently position AI as a form of pedagogical scaffolding rather than a replacement for human expertise. Human instructors perceived their role as indispensable, especially in highly ambiguous training contexts. Particularly, their roles remain central to effective pedagogy when it comes to observation, stimulating reflective thinking and developing interpersonal relationship with learners. Our analysis also suggests that the future of simulator training with AI appears to be shaped by a triadic interplay of perceived usefulness, psychological safety and social embeddedness. Whether AI should be integrated into simulator-based training remains contingent upon the maturity of the technology and the demonstrable value it can provide. Given the opacity of AI systems, often referred to as “black boxes”, it is imperative to foreground ethical awareness about the potential and limitations of AI use. Additionally, informants believe that as AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday professional life. Hence, it is important to develop informed strategies that maximise its pedagogical utility while safeguarding the human factors in professional training practice.