A multi-country survey puts AI inside most warehouses

Material Handling & Logistics reported on 3 December 2025 on research from MIT Intelligent Logistics Systems, drawn from more than 2,000 supply-chain and warehousing professionals in 21 countries. The headline finding is that AI is embedded in 60 percent of warehouses. The reported uses include order picking, inventory, equipment maintenance, labor planning, and safety monitoring.

Most businesses in the study put 11 to 30 percent of warehouse technology budget toward AI and machine learning, with a typical payback of two to three years. Eighty-seven percent expect to raise that budget, and 92 percent are implementing or planning a project. Mecalux chief executive Javier Carrillo is quoted on adaptability, not only on speed.

Equipment maintenance is on that list. A model that flags a drive is one kind of help. A guide that walks the person at the cabinet through the next check is another. A building can use both.