Intelligent cargo ships are a research field involving ship design, power composition, state perception, information processing, communication control, risk identification, artificial intelligence, and so on. Its development seeks to make water transportation safer, greener, and more economical. Firstly, the characteristics and difficulties of the autonomous control and decision-making of cargo ships are analyzed, and the research status of intelligent cargo ships at home and abroad is expounded. Secondly, from the three aspects of intelligent navigation technology, intelligent engine room technology, and remote driving technology, the future development directions of intelligent cargo ships have prospected. Finally, some thoughts on the development of intelligent cargo ships are proposed in this paper.