Does it do the same as we would? How trust in automated shipboard systems relates to seafarers’ professional identity

Abstract

In this qualitative study, we explore the concept of trust in safety-critical automated shipboard systems and how it relates to the professional identity of seafarers. For maritime safety, it is critical that human–automation interaction builds on appropriate trust in an automated system. Although there is momentum in researching trust in automation, few studies have addressed this topic using qualitative methods and sociocultural approaches. This study builds on rich data from interviews and observations of maritime officers on battery-electric domestic car ferries with state-of-the-art automation in Norway. The results show how seafarers progressed from initial skepticism to trust and sometimes overreliance on the systems. The development of trust was contingent on systems behaving according to professional standards rooted in professional identity, such as sailing according to good seamanship. This comparison was enabled by individual hands-on experiences. Professional identity clarifies the context-specific antecedents of trust exhibited by seafarers when core tasks are automated. Understanding and, to some degree, aligning systems with professional identity could help achieve trustworthy systems with appropriate trust exhibited by users. The safety opportunities and challenges created by the interplay between trust and professional identity are discussed.