Hello, hello, welcome to Smart Talks with IBM, a podcast from Pushkin Industries, I Heart

Radio and IBM.

I'm Malcolm Grawel.

This season we're talking to new creators, the developers, data scientists, CTOs and other

visionaries who are creatively applying technology and business to drive change.

Channeling their knowledge and expertise, they're developing more creative and effective

solutions no matter the industry.

Our guest today are Brett Fanoff and Don Scott.

Brett and Don are responsible for creating the world's first unmanned fully autonomous

ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

A research vessel they've dubbed the Mayflower 400.

Brett is the director of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship Project and Don is the CTO of Marine AI.

On June 30, 2022, the Mayflower 400 successfully completed its voyage from Plymouth, UK to Plymouth,

Massachusetts.

It's both an homage to the original Mayflower, which crossed the Atlantic 400 years earlier,

and a bellweather for the ways autonomous technology will push the boundaries of maritime

exploration in the next 400 years.

On today's show, the unlikely origins of a self-directed ship, some ocean misadventures,

and what AI and machine learning will mean for the future of seafaring and beyond.

Brett and Don spoke with Lauren Ober, host of the forthcoming Pushkin podcast, The Loudest

Girl in the World.

Lauren is a longtime radio host and reporter, helming shows like NPR's The Big Listen and

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