Defense One reports on the latest program by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA: “a 132-foot autonomous boat to track quiet, diesel-powered submarines.” “To little notice, the system earlier this year passed a critical test, moving much closer to actual deployment… Most importantly, the tests showed that the robot boat could execute a difficult military mission without violating the maritime laws outlined in the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. They also provided a critical proof-of-concept for machine-learning systems at sea, showing that big robots can, indeed, navigate the open seas along with cruise ships and shrimp boats.”  

“The world’s waters could soon be crowded with robot ships that almost never hit land.”