Maritime transport is crucial for global trade, transporting over 90% of global goods by volume and facing challenges such as environmental impacts and security threats. Public policy is the key to addressing these issues through regulations that enhance safety, security, and sustainability. Integrating this sector with generative AI can significantly improve predictive maintenance, route optimisation, and accident prevention. AI technologies can process vast amounts of data for real-time decision-making, which is vital for the efficiency and safety of maritime operations. AI can lead to autonomous ships, optimise logistics, and reduce human error. However, integrating AI poses technical barriers such as cybersecurity, significant initial costs, and social hurdles such as job displacement fears. Effective public policy must evolve to address these challenges and promote AI integration while considering ethical and legal implications.