## 3 Literature Review
### Regulatory Constraints Shaping the Design of Autonomous Agents  
The deployment of autonomous maritime systems is subject to a complex web of international regulations that ensure operational safety, environmental protection, and legal accountability. These regulatory frameworks do not merely define external constraints; they directly influence the design, architecture, and real-time behavior of AI agents embedded within autonomous vessels (Table 3). Safety Standards and Navigation Compliance. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), governed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), outlines comprehensive requirements related to ship construction, onboard equipment, and navigational capabilities [63]. For AI agents, this means ensuring strict adherence to navigational safety protocols, emergency \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Regulation Name** & **Governing Body** & **Key Requirements** & **Impact on Autonomous Vessels** \\ \hline SOLAS [63] & International Maritime Organization (IMO) & Standards for ship construction, equipment, and operation & Ensures safety features and reliable navigation systems \\ \hline MARPOL [64] & IMO & Prevention of marine pollution & Requires emission control and waste management systems \\ \hline Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) [65] & IMO & Reduction of CO\({}_{2}\) emissions from ships & Necessitas fuel optimization and emission monitoring by AI \\ \hline EU Intelligent Transport Systems (EU ITS) [66] & European Union & Integration of intelligent technologies in transport & Facilitates communication between autonomous ships and ports \\ \hline STCW [67] & IMO & Standards for training, certification, and watchkeeping & Ensures AI systems support compliance with crew training standards \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Summary of Maritime Regulations Relevant to Autonomous Systems. systems, and reliability standards. AI-driven decisions must align with predefined safety management systems and be explainable in post-incident evaluations. Environmental Regulations and Sustainability. The MARPOL Convention sets international rules for pollution prevention, requiring ships--including autonomous ones--to minimize their environmental impact [64]. AI agents contribute to compliance through real-time emission monitoring, fuel optimization, and the automated control of ballast water and waste discharge. The emerging Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) framework further incentivizes the integration of predictive models for energy efficiency [64]. Communication and Interoperability Requirements. The European Union's Intelligent Transport Systems (EU ITS) framework promotes interoperability between vessels, ports, and traffic management systems [66]. Autonomous ships must be able to communicate in real time with coastal infrastructure, sharing status updates, responding to external commands, and integrating into maritime traffic flows. This places unique demands on AI agents to act as intermediaries between technical systems and human operators, often across jurisdictional boundaries. Training and Human Oversight Standards. The Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention ensures that crewed vessels operate with properly trained personnel [67]. For autonomous systems, this raises questions about how AI agents can support--or replace--human roles, while remaining accountable to the same level of operational oversight. Human-AI interaction must be transparent, traceable, and subject to audit. While these regulations were originally designed for manned ships, they are increasingly shaping the architecture of autonomous systems. AI agents must not only function effectively under uncertain conditions but also operate in legally compliant ways like recording decisions, enabling override mechanisms, and ensuring adherence to regional and international standards.