Laser-armed AI submarine robots patrol Norwegian salmon farms, killing sea lice

Norwegian company Stingray Marine Solutions has deployed more than 3,500 autonomous underwater robots in salmon pens along the country’s coast, about 1,000 more than a year earlier. The systems are estimated to protect over 112 million fish, or 20-25% of Norway’s farmed salmon. Using cameras and artificial intelligence, each robot identifies sea lice on passing fish and fires a laser at the parasites. The treatment runs continuously while salmon swim normally, aiming to keep lice numbers low without moving fish through chemical baths.

The approach addresses a persistent aquaculture problem: chemical treatments can stress fish, harm the environment, and become less effective as lice develop resistance. Reducing lice may also benefit nearby wild fish, while cleaner, healthier salmon can grow better and experience lower mortality. Stingray’s report describes the deployment as one of Scandinavia’s largest commercial AI operations, and says farms using the systems needed fewer cleaner fish. The technology has limits: installation costs may deter operators, and the robots work within the pens, leaving lice able to collect in dim, murky areas or beyond their patrol range. Their strongest role may therefore be prevention - maintaining low local parasite levels rather than eliminating lice across the wider farming area.