More than 70% of supply chain executives say that artificial intelligence will be the most disruptive technology over the next decade, while nearly a quarter believe that any disruptions created by AI will be transformational for the logistics sector.

“Supply chains can no longer be optimized at the edges,” said MHI CEO John Paxton, during his keynote address at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 15. "Only connected, intelligent and automated real-time networks will withstand the volatility and meet the future customer demands for speed and efficiency.”

As a chaotic geopolitical environment has made it harder than ever to plan for the future, AI is widely viewed by supply chain leaders as an essential tool to mitigate those impacts.

According to a survey of 500 supply chain professionals from MHI and Deloitte, 41% of respondents said that they've already adopted AI technology in some way, while another 47% said that they expect to adopt AI within the next five years. Thirty-three percent said that, within the next two years, they plan to use the technology for inventory optimization, while 30% are looking to improve predictive maintenance of equipment, and 27% are planning to automate operational decision-making.

Despite the urgency around AI adoption, it will be equally important to ensure that any actual investments in the technology are targeted and strategic, said Carvana regional director of logistics Camille Blake, during a panel following Paxton's presentation of MHI's report.

"All of the data suggests that the companies that are going to win are the ones that are being very thoughtful and intentional about how they add technology to their business," Blake explained. 

That means ensuring that an organization has a strong operational foundation, where leaders understand exactly what problems they want AI to solve, and how their existing processes might be able to accommodate those goals. Without the right pieces in place, she warned, any attempts at adoption could fail before they ever get off the ground.

"Where we are struggling or getting it wrong is by trying to do the technology before we do everything else right," Blake said. "If you have a level of instability in your operations, you're not ready, and you have to be honest about that."