AI \u2013 the so-called \u2018Fourth Industrial Revolution\u2019 \u2013 has developed in leaps and bounds, and with it, affordability has increased exponentially. The tangible benefits are manifold, Rasmussen said, citing a case in which a logistics business had been saved $1.2 billion simply by deploying it.<\/p>\n
Inspired by ants<\/strong><\/p>\n Developers of artificial intelligence were actually inspired by ants, Rasmussen said.<\/p>\n Ant Colony Optimisation (ACO) is now a well-known tool used in this sphere, where machines are programmed to work along the same principles that ants use.<\/p>\n \u201cTo find the quickest and most effective route to food, ants explore different pathways, leaving pheromones behind,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cOver time, they discover the shortest route and remember it \u2013 and this is what AI algorithms do.\u201d<\/p>\n This can be used in so many ways \u2013 working out the best routes, how to avoid congestion, taking weather into account, and making predictions \u2013 and just like ants, the machine adapts to changing circumstances.<\/p>\n If efficiency is improved, costs are cut. AI can detect fraud, improve security, reduce human error, organise data \u2013 it can reduce the waste, for example, in moving empty containers around when a proper logistics plan has not been implemented.<\/p>\n Bottlenecks can be reduced, waste, deliver delays \u2013 all leading to saving money, Rasmussen said. And it also applies to the excruciating administrative tasks that are increasingly being done, such as orders, which can be processed simply by AI extracting the necessary information from an email.<\/p>\n \u201cIf a vessel has to be diverted to another port, does the cargo need to go by road, or rail? AI can optimise the supply chain, avoiding geopolitical issues like the Suez Canal, weather \u2013 and so on, avoiding knee-jerk reactions that humans often have,\u201d Rasmussen said.<\/p>\n