White paper · For USMMA midshipmen, faculty and alumni
Problem first, tool second.
A practical way for mariners to think about AI before buying, trusting or building anything. Read the white paper, tell us what you see at sea, and test your own idea with a free use case workbook.
STARTING POINT
Name the Problem
THEN
Evaluate the Tool
ALWAYS
Human in the Loop
Four parts, one DisciplIne
Part 1
What AI Actually Is
Training tools versus equipment-embedded AI, and the submariner standard.
Part 3
Building the Framework
Strategy, governance, human in the loop, use case filtering and return on investment.
Part 2
The Human Factor
A century of safety research, why the fear is real and fixable, and the BATHERS check.
Part 4
Making it Real
Training tools versus equipment-embedded AI, and the submariner standard.
TELL US WHAT YOU SEE
Every sea term and shoreside job turns up problems people work around and never write down. Add yours to a shared pool so real challenges, not guesses, shape what gets built and studied.
A Complaint
“The paperwork for this is a mess.”
A Challenge
What is happening, why it is a problem, and who it affects.
- Takes about 10 minutes. Use as many entries as you have.
- No AI required. You do not need to suggest a solution, and AI may not be the answer.
- You get a confirmation by email once you submit.
What It Delivers
A grouped, risk-screened dataset of real gaps across the fleet that faculty can use as capstone and SEA project topics.
KEEP THIS AT 0300
The BATHERS Check
Seven questions to ask before you trust any AI output.
Bias
Whose data trained it, and what blind spots follow?
Accountability
If it is wrong, who owns the fix?
Transparency
Do you know where the answer came from?
Human Oversight
Is someone in the loop who can catch a mistake?
Enviroment
Is the use sustainable and the prompting efficient?
Responsible Scaling
Are data, process and training ready for the whole team?
Safeguards
Who can see the data, and what if access is compromised?
Use case workbook
Test your idea before anyone spends a dollar.
A free Excel template that walks one idea through the same filter the white paper recommends, then shows where it lands.
- What challenge does this solve? State the problem in plain language.
- Is the risk acceptable? Score likelihood and impact honestly.
- Can AI deliver it today? Not someday.
What you get
A one-page assessment you can attach to a capstone proposal, a budget request or a conversation with a vendor.
Bring this to your team.
SpecNav Global builds practical AI strategy, governance and training grounded in operational reality. If you want a live, controlled version of the demonstration or a session for your command, let’s talk.