Some forty years ago, in the early days of automatic steering, autopilots were looked upon as a mere addition to the gyro-compass equipment. It was a black box, which was said to be able to reduce fuel consumption. It was also a gadget that amused passengers. The original introduction of the autopilot was based on these two aspects and its application was consequently confined to a small number of large passenger vessels.

Yet the name autopilot clearly indicates the possibility of automating an important element of the ship's routine, the steering. However, at this stage shipping in general was not ready for this aspect. The cost of labour on board played a less important part then than it does today. It took another twenty years before it became clear that it was precisely the labour-saving capacity of the auto- or gyro-pilot which would play such an important role in the rationalization of the ship's manpower requirements.