Research firm Gartner has identified the most prominent supply chain technology trends for 2024, with artificial intelligence taking center stage. 

Gartner highlighted eight trends in total: cyber extortion, supply chain data governance, end-to-end sustainable supply chains, AI-enabled vision systems, augmented connected workforces, composite AI, next-generation humanoid robots, and machine customers. 

AI plays a prominent role in at least four of these, as the technology continues to integrate across the supply chain. It's already factoring in to data governance, allowing for advanced analytics that model scenarios and automate decision-making. Gartner believes that maintaining a high level of data quality and strict governance is "mission critical" for businesses. 

Meanwhile, composite AI can be used to boost supply chain performance with a broad knowledge base and a variety of AI techniques, providing an array of solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. 

Gartner also pointed to how many companies are looking to humanoid robots — often powered by AI — to automate tasks in manufacturing and warehouses.

Gartner VP analyst Dwight Klappich further noted how the full list of trends is "interconnected and mutually reinforcing."

“Their importance will differ not only by organizational maturity, but also by industry, business needs and previously devised strategic plans," he added. "Innovative supply chain leaders will connect strategies and investments between multiple trends to help deliver on their mission-critical goals this year.”