DHL: Artificial intelligence will remold logistics world

The next step for self-driving vehicles in logistics, DHL said, will be to overcome regulatory and security challenges in order to start operating on public roads. (Photo courtesy of DHL)

Global logistics provider DHL believes worldwide supply chains are beginning to undergo a fundamental transformation as more “artificial intelligence” is deployed to handle both the domestic and international movement of goods

According to research conducted in support of its recent 2016 Logistics Trend Radar, DHL thinks the impact of data-driven and autonomous supply chains provides an opportunity for “previously unimaginable levels of optimization” in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and last mile delivery that could become a reality in less than half a decade, despite high set-up costs deterring early adoption within the logistics industry.

Matthias Heutger, senior vice president for strategy, marketing & innovation at DHL, said in a statement that 15 of the 26 “key trends” identified in the company’s annual trend radar report “are likely to make an impact in under five years” and thus bear careful watching by the global logistics industry.

Some of those trends include:

While the “Internet of Things” or “IoT” will also play a large role in more “intelligent supply chains” as well – a trend DHL noted in its trend report last year – security concerns regarding hacking, among other issues, is slowing down its adoption.