Every year, more supply chain leaders put money behind artificial intelligence. They invest in demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and logistics automation. They build teams, run pilots, and scale what works. Yet according to the RELEX 2026 State of Supply Chain report (a survey of 514 retail, manufacturing, and distribution leaders) 15% of organizations still have no plans to use AI in their supply chain at all.

Read also: Impact of Global Tariffs and Trade Policies on Manufacturing Supply Chains

That number deserves serious attention. In a trade environment where 86% of companies report material impact from tariffs and trade policy changes, where 57% of manufacturers say raw material procurement is their most affected area, and where 30% of retailers name consumer demand shifts as a top challenge, operating without AI is a competitive risk that only compounds over time.

The good news is that AI adoption is up and climbing fast. Sixty-seven percent of respondents say their confidence in using AI for supply chain decisions has increased compared with last year, and only three percent report decreased confidence. While only about a third of organizations are already scaling AI solutions, a majority of organizations are planning to use AI: Over the next three to five years, 71% plan to invest in generative and agentic AI and 60% aim to invest in predictive AI. These are not pilot-stage numbers.

When it comes to how AI is being used, the survey data points to three priority areas for AI in supply chain optimization: 

• 47% are using or planning AI for inventory and supply optimization. 
• 41% apply AI to logistics and routing, including dynamic routing, network optimization, and warehouse automation. 
• 40% use AI in sales and customer service, including chatbots for order management and supply-related inquiries. 

In each case, the common thread is clear: organizations target use cases where AI delivers measurable operational improvement with defined return on investment, not theoretical value.

None of this means using AI requires full automation, though. The survey shows that 54% of leaders prefer AI to make recommendations while humans finalize decisions, and only 10% trust AI to operate independently. That balance is healthy. The strongest supply chains use AI to make human decisions faster and better informed, instead of trying to remove humans from the process. But that hybrid model still requires investment, implementation, and organizational commitment.

Global trade has changed because the operating environment has changed – speed and precision are now critical for success. Trade policy shifts force companies to adjust sourcing, pricing, and production plans in real time. At the same time, consumer behavior swings require demand signals that update daily, not monthly. And frequent raw material shortages mean procurement systems need to spot risk before it hits the production line. AI handles all these tasks faster and more accurately than manual processes or spreadsheet-based planning. 

Companies that invest in AI-driven planning can sense demand changes, rebalance inventory, and reroute supply in hours. Companies without it respond in weeks, and sometimes not at all. In a global trade environment where tariff announcements can shift cost structures overnight, that speed gap translates directly into thinner margins and a smaller market share.

The survey also reveals a broader strategic shift that amplifies the AI gap. Organizations are moving away from buffer-based resilience toward partnership-based agility. Safety stock as a primary resilience strategy dropped from 43% in 2025 to 28% in 2026, while collaboration with logistics partners jumped from 52% to 59%. Currently, 34% are optimizing inventory with technology. These strategies depend on strong data, accurate forecasts, and automated decision support. In short, they depend on AI. Companies trying to run partnership-driven supply chains without AI-enabled planning tools will struggle to keep pace with partners who expect real-time visibility and fast action.

The capability gap between AI adopters and holdouts is not static. It widens every quarter. Consider what the 32% already scaling AI have already gained over the 15% with no plans for AI: better forecast accuracy that reduces both waste and stockouts, automated inventory decisions that free planners to focus on exceptions, and faster responses to demand shifts. Each capability builds on the last. Even if the 15% change their minds later, they’re already falling behind now. Companies that procrastinate AI implementation will fall behind on the data quality, process redesign, and organizational learning needed to use AI well. 

For companies operating in global trade, the message from 514 supply chain leaders is simple: AI is now a competitive survival decision. The 15% with no AI plans are falling behind every quarter, and the distance between leaders and laggards is growing faster than most executives realize.