TRANSPORT has been among the business sectors slowest to adopt artificial intelligence technology in its operations, research from NAB Economics says.
According to the report, 42% of Australian small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are already using AI, with a further 14% planning to adopt it, signalling a majority of small business owners are unafraid to experiment.
But the story varies across sectors.
Leaders were described as property services (69%), finance & insurance (65%) and business services (61%).
This compared with the so-called laggards including transport and storage (21%), retail (22%) and manufacturing (35%).
In a statement to DCN, the Australian Logistics Council said freight and logistics were inherently physical, with productivity driven by the movement, handling, and storage of goods across heavy vehicles, intermodal terminals, ports, airports, and freight rail networks.
“[These are] activities that cannot be easily automated or digitised without significant changes to assets, infrastructure, and operating models,” an ALC spokesperson said.
“Structural constraints compound this, including a highly fragmented SME base, legacy systems, inconsistent data standards, regulatory and safety requirements, connectivity gaps across regional corridors, the need for interoperability across an end-to-end supply chain, and social licence constraints in communities surrounding ports, airports, and urban freight interfaces.
“Collectively, these factors slow the scalable deployment of AI and associated productivity gains.”
NAB Group executive for digital, data & AI, Pete Steel, said the nation’s SMEs had proven that AI was not just for big businesses.
“We’re seeing a clear shift from curiosity to practical use, with more businesses using AI to save time, reduce admin burdens and make better decisions,” Mr Steel said.
“Unlocking this adoption at scale across the economy has real potential to help Australia increase productivity and lift our global competitiveness.”
Mr Steel said Australians had long demonstrated themselves as early adopters of technology.
“The opportunity now is to help many more companies through something that feels complex and uncertain—to adopt this technology safely and with confidence,” he said.
According to the report, almost half of SMEs (44%) are not using AI, highlighting the opportunity to build capability.
NAB customer Design and Diplomacy owner Tim Gauci said he was initially sceptical, but now uses AI to analyse financial performance.
“I invested time in understanding what AI is and how to use it properly in the context of my business, so the outputs were actually useful,” he said.
“If you want more free time, you need to work out how to use it. It doesn’t take long.”
Bella Manufacturing director Andrew Blair was also a recent convert, after initially assuming AI was limited to highly technical people.
“We’re using AI across marketing, sales, operations and logistics,” Mr Blair said.
“The real value isn’t the technology. It’s the time it gives back.”