Nick and Raal speak with technologist Peter Rossi about the rapid shift from chat-based AI to agentic workflows, exploring practical use cases, risks, and implications for maritime operations, SaaS models, and workforce structure. The discussion highlights governance, productivity gains, and how companies should start adopting AI while retaining human judgment.Chapters00:00 Opening anecdote and introduction to Peter Rossi00:12 Rossi’s background: F1, SaaS, private equity, and M&A02:19 Entry into maritime and Beluga origins03:09 Building and integrating 20+ companies06:48 Tech due diligence in the age of AI09:00 From chatbots to agentic AI13:33 Tiered AI evolution and real-world workflows20:23 Building AI-powered personal productivity systems23:04 Human-in-the-loop and risk management30:13 Applications in ship management and operations35:04 How companies should adopt AI42:42 Administrative automation vs “moonshot” tech48:29 Agentic AI and the future of software54:30 The future of SaaS and data ownership59:30 Decentralised AI and infrastructure shifts01:04:17 What comes next: agentic systems01:12:09 AI in education and learning01:13:35 Beluga relaunch and closing thoughtsThis episode begins with Peter Rossi’s unconventional journey through Formula One, venture capital, and SaaS into maritime, setting the stage for a grounded discussion on how technology actually gets deployed inside businesses.The conversation quickly moves to AI’s recent evolution—from static chat interfaces to embedded, context-aware tools and now toward fully agentic systems. Rossi outlines a three-tier model of AI maturity and explains why many organisations are still stuck at the earliest stage. Practical workflows, including automated content creation and data analysis, illustrate how quickly productivity gains can be realised.A central theme is the shift from tools to systems. The discussion explores how agentic AI can orchestrate tasks across multiple platforms, enabling “management by exception” and dramatically reducing administrative burden—particularly relevant in process-heavy maritime environments like ship management.The episode also examines the implications for SaaS, arguing that value is shifting away from interfaces toward data ownership and orchestration. This raises fundamental questions about how maritime software businesses will compete in a world of commoditised intelligence.Finally, the conversation addresses governance, workforce impact, and adoption challenges. The hosts and Rossi emphasise that human judgment remains critical, even as AI systems take on more execution. The episode closes with a look at what comes next—and why organisations that fail to engage risk being left behind.Episode PartnerThis episode is brought to you by Fortec.Fortec delivers high-performance marine display and hardware solutions designed for demanding onboard environments, ensuring reliability, clarity, and operational continuity.Learn more about Fortec’s solutions for maritime applications.

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