Offshore survey operations have historically relied on a blend of robust instrumentation, experienced personnel, and extensive field calibration to ensure positioning accuracy, safety, and deliverability.
From hydrographic mapping to seismic node deployment, the operations are high-stakes, cost-intensive, and sensitive to environmental uncertainties.
In recent years, there has been a visible push to integrate AI into subsea workflows. However, much of that focus has been on automation or autonomy — primarily through AUVs and pre-programmed analytics. What’s emerging now is a different kind of intelligence: Generative AI. One that doesn't just automate, but can contextualize, interpret, and assist in real-time decision-making.
This shift is not just about replacing tasks — it's about rethinking how survey professionals can interact with data, scenarios, and unexpected offshore challenges.
The Limitations of the Current Model
While offshore wind and energy transition projects are accelerating, the readiness of survey technology and operational models has not always kept pace. Many projects still lean heavily on outdated workflows, manual reporting, and siloed instruments. Add to this the rising pressure of cost optimization, and the result is clear: the need for smarter, more responsive systems.
Attempts at bringing in AI often fall into the trap of over-automation, removing the human from the loop and assuming that rule-based systems can account for subsea unpredictability. But as anyone who has worked on deck during a DP trial, SLAM calibration, or Sparse LBL deployment knows — flexibility, context, and timing matter more than rules alone.
Enter Generative AI: A Shift in Mindset
Generative AI introduces a new model—one where the system becomes a companion to survey teams. Rather than executing preset commands, it interacts with the environment, with data, and with operators.
Imagine a system that, during ROV deployment for OBN calibration, can:
- Interpret the live mission logs
- Highlight acoustic error zones in real time
- Recommend mid-mission recalibration based on predicted drift
- Auto-generate post-mission survey reports with seabed visuals and positioning deltas
(Image credit: Satish Ramachandran)
GENIE and SUBCGEN: Bridging Offshore Operations and Generative Intelligence
GENIE (Generative Engine for Navigation and Interpretation Excellence) is designed to assist survey professionals in real-time, using contextual AI prompts and predictive logic. SUBCGEN, its underlying subsea-specific LLM (Large Language Model), is trained on decades of offshore mission data, acoustic behavior, positioning models, and environmental response scenarios.
Together, they offer a new operational layer:
- Real-time interpretation of INS/DVL/USBL data
- AI-supported calibration planning (2D/3D)
- Cloudplexing sensor inputs for structured decision logic
- Post-installation support with visual heatmaps and confidence metrics
These tools do not replace survey teams—they elevate them. They bring the speed and precision of machine learning into the hands of those who know the terrain, the vessel, and the risks.
Real-World Applications and What Comes Next
The GENIE-SUBCGEN system has been deployed in pilot scenarios for:
- Sparse LBL optimization for OBN deployments
- Seabed deflection monitoring during breakwater construction
- Real-time rock dumping calibration
- Current and tide data interpretation during marine outfall work
Initial results show a marked improvement in calibration efficiency, error prediction, and report delivery — without adding complexity to the field workflow.
As the industry evolves, the key is not to push AI into every gap, but to identify where intelligence can reduce cost, increase safety, and truly support the human operators who remain essential.
Conclusion
The offshore survey industry stands at the edge of its next evolution—not through full automation, but through intelligent augmentation. Generative AI represents a new opportunity: to embed domain-specific knowledge, human experience, and AI foresight into one real-time system.
With GENIE and SUBCGEN, we’re not just digitizing offshore workflows—we’re transforming them into living, learning systems.
Article contributor, Satish Ramachandran., Prompt Engineer, SubCGENIE
