That chatbot you’ve been chuckling over wants to know more about your supply chain, say The Wall Street Journal. Big logistics technology providers are ramping up research on the new field of artificial intelligence, the tech known as generative AI.

Companies including Blue Yonder, SAP and Manhattan Associates are looking at how the tool can improve forecasting, procurement, inventory management and even the nuts and bolts of shipping decisions.

The tech has gotten the public’s attention through OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT program. But software executives say the technology underpinning generative AI offers a potential tool for digesting vast amounts of data and providing conclusions quickly. 

That makes it a natural step for advancing AI, although experts caution that integration with supply-chain management tools may be years away. Or, as ChatGPT puts it, “like any innovative solution, it comes with its own set of challenges.”