THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ON SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE AND LOGISTICS EFFICIENCY IN EMERGING ECONOMIES

Abstract

Global supply chains have faced repeated shocks in recent years, while artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies have moved into everyday logistics operations. This paper examines how these technologies affect supply chain resilience and logistics efficiency in emerging economies, where weaker infrastructure and limited data often magnify the cost of disruptions. Using an integrative review of peer-reviewed studies and secondary evidence from the World Bank, UNCTAD, the International Telecommunication Union and official sources for India and China, the study identifies three mechanisms through which AI and digital tools create value: visibility, prediction and coordination. These mechanisms help to shorten port delays, reduce inventory and logistics costs and speed up responses to disruptions. India's container dwell time of about three days and China's record-low logistics costs of 14.1% of GDP in 2024 illustrate the potential gains. However, the benefits depend on connectivity, interoperable data platforms and organisational capabilities, which remain uneven: only 23% of people in low-income countries use the internet. The paper concludes that emerging economies gain most when they combine shared public digital infrastructure with targeted AI applications and outcome-based performance monitoring