Maritime digital operations face a critical juncture. To survive the 'asteroid' of escalating customer demands for transparency and advanced technology adoption, the industry must undergo significant evolution, argue Namrata Nadkarni and Edward Parshotam of Intent Communications. The maritime sector is frequently criticized for its slow pace in embracing digitalization and harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), trailing behind many other industries. This lag puts it at risk of a profound technological shock if it doesn't adapt.