MASS-ive risk? Will the 1910 Collision Convention apply to collisions involving autonomous ships?

The interest in the introduction of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) has been growing at pace in recent years. At the international level, the Comité Maritime International (CMI) is producing work on legal aspects of MASS;1 in 2019 the IMO issued interim guidelines for trials of MASS;2 and in 2021 the IMO concluded a regulatory scoping exercise on relevant ship safety treaties to assess future regulation of MASS.3

Currently, the IMO is drafting the MASS Code, a goal-based instrument that will regulate the operation of MASS. ⁴While an appropriate regulatory framework for autonomous ships is crucial, it is arguable that liability issues arising from introducing these novel craft are equally as important. ⁵