Abstract Realizing automatic control of shield machine tunneling attitude is a challenging problem. Realizing multi-step intelligent prediction for attitude and position is an important prerequisite for solving this problem in the tunneling process with complex and varied geological environments. In this paper, a multi-step intelligent predictive scheme based on beluga whale optimization-convolutional neural network-Long Short-term memory-gated recurrent unit (BWO-CNN-LSTM-GRU) is proposed for shield machine position attitude. First, Pearson correlation analysis is utilized to determine the input feature variables from the construction data and temporalize the input features. Subsequently, CNN-LSTM-GRU predictive models are established for the six positional parameters, separately. Among them, CNN performs feature extraction on the input variables, and LSTM-GRU realizes the predictions for the target positional parameters. In the end, the optimization of the convolutional layer dimension, the number of convolutional layers, iterations, the learning rate, the number of neurons in the LSTM layer and GRU layer of each position predictive model is performed on the basis of BWO, separately, and the best hyperparameters found are built into a BWO-CNN-LSTM-GRU position predictive model, which realizes the multi-step intelligent predictions for the shield machine’s position. The proposed approach is examined by utilizing the Beijing Metro Line 10. The results show that the predictive deviation of the position predictive model is within 3 mm, and the positional trajectory points obtained on the basis of the predicted values and the 3D coordinate system are highly coincident with the actual trajectory points. Therefore, the approach provides a more accurate predictive result for shield attitude and position and can provide a decision-making scheme for further realizing the coordinated autonomous control of shield machine.