Business

WiseTech's AI leap threatens jobs but aims to transform logistics workforce

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 8:22AM UTC

Australia's WiseTech Global forecasts a major shift in the logistics sector, with AI-driven automation potentially eliminating half of jobs while redefining skilled roles and boosting operational efficiency across the supply chain.

Australia's largest listed technology company, WiseTech Global, has projected a significant transformation in the logistics sector driven by artificial intelligence (AI), anticipating that half of the jobs in logistics providers could be eliminated while simultaneously increasing the importance of the remaining roles.

At an investor summit, WiseTech's CEO Zubin Appoo revealed that the company has integrated numerous AI agents into its flagship Cargowise platform, which serves more than 17,000 freight forwarders and third-party logistics providers globally. The AI systems are specifically designed to automate labour-intensive tasks typically handled by offshore shared service centres or business process outsourcing (BPO) centres in lower labour-cost countries. Appoo emphasized that AI adoption will drastically reduce this segment of the workforce by more than 50 percent.

This AI-driven shift, however, is not about replacing all human involvement. Appoo explained that skilled logistics operators located near supply chain operations will become increasingly vital as their role evolves to verify and collaborate with AI agents to ensure high-quality outcomes, thereby enhancing profitability, margins, and operational performance for customers such as freight forwarders and customs brokers.

The critical challenge AI aims to tackle is the massive paperwork burden inherent in international trade logistics. Currently, many trade documents remain non-digitised, existing as PDFs or images requiring manual data entry into systems like Cargowise. Appoo illustrated the scale of this task, noting that a global freight forwarder might process around 10 million commercial invoices annually, translating into the equivalent of 95 years of human data entry every year. While offshore data processing and optical character recognition solutions are in use, WiseTech’s Cargowise now includes a document ingestion system powered by advanced AI language models capable of understanding and structuring information from these documents with human-like comprehension.

The AI system flags any data uncertainties or compliance anomalies, such as shipments involving sanctioned entities or potentially prohibited products, prompting human review only when necessary. This selective intervention ensures accuracy and mitigates risks across the supply chain.

WiseTech's AI capabilities extend beyond data entry. Mirta Fagundes dos Santos, the company's AI team leader, highlighted the AI-driven classification assistant which automates up to 90 percent of the demanding task of customs goods classification. Determining the correct categorisation of goods, such as distinguishing a ceramic pepper grinder from ceramic tableware, requires interpreting complex legal notes and trade policies. Misclassification carries financial penalties and reputational risks, as well as implications for national security and compliance, making this automation a critical advancement. By deploying bespoke AI agents narrowly tailored for specific tasks, WiseTech claims to maintain high accuracy and avoid AI hallucinations, a common concern in broader AI applications.

Recent developments show WiseTech is actively expanding its AI and automation capabilities. In 2025, the company acquired Shipamax, a UK-based firm specialising in data entry automation through AI and machine learning for logistics tasks like forwarding, customs brokerage job management, and accounts payable invoice processing. This acquisition aims to further streamline operations and reduce manual handling across the logistics industry.

The company is also undergoing a strategic overhaul involving AI-driven cost optimisation, with a focus on long-term value creation in logistics. This process includes workforce reductions as WiseTech invests heavily in AI infrastructure, a move aligning with trends across the tech industry where automation is reshaping employment landscapes. Although WiseTech has not disclosed specific figures regarding job cuts, it has committed to helping affected employees transition professionally.

While automation threatens certain routine roles, especially in offshore and lower-skill job categories, industry analysis suggests the rise of AI will also create new job opportunities in supervisory, engineering, and specialist roles within the logistics workforce. The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, millions of new roles related to AI and robotics will emerge, balancing some of the displacement caused by automation.

WiseTech's fiscal 2025 earnings presentation highlighted the incorporation of agentic AI-enabled workflow automation in its CargoWise platform, which employs AI personas to continuously automate aspects of trade and logistics operations at a fraction of the traditional cost, significantly improving speed, accuracy, and productivity.

Moreover, WiseTech continues to enhance its platform's efficiency by enabling real-time data exchange among global partners, supported by multilingual capabilities and extensive licensing that facilitate smooth international collaboration, improved supply chain visibility, and regulatory compliance.

In navigating this AI transformation, WiseTech underscores that while substantial labour shifts are imminent, the future logistics workforce will be defined by more strategic, skilled roles working alongside advanced AI systems to unlock new efficiencies and capabilities in global trade.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (inkl) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
^[2] (Reuters) - Paragraph 8, 9
^[3] (Cargowise) - Paragraph 10
^[4] (WiseTech FY25 results) - Paragraph 11
^[5] (WiseTech news) - Paragraph 12
^[6] (TMA Solutions) - Paragraph 9
^[7] (AI Invest) - Paragraph 8

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.inkl.com/news/player-tips-ai-to-send-half-of-logistics-jobs-packing - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-wisetech-cut-some-jobs-ai-driven-efficiency-push-2025-07-23/ - In July 2025, Australia's WiseTech Global announced a workforce reduction to enhance efficiency through automation and increased use of artificial intelligence. The company did not specify the number of jobs affected but stated that it would support impacted employees with professional transition services. This move aligns with a broader industry trend of technology firms reducing headcount to fund heavy investments in AI infrastructure. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-wisetech-cut-some-jobs-ai-driven-efficiency-push-2025-07-23/?utm_source=openai))
https://www.cargowise.com/news/wisetech-global-acquires-industry-leading-data-entry-automation-business-shipamax/ - In 2025, WiseTech Global acquired Shipamax, a UK-based provider of data entry automation software for the logistics industry. Shipamax uses AI and machine learning to convert unstructured data into machine-readable formats, automating manual tasks such as creating and managing forwarding and customs brokerage jobs and processing accounts payable invoices. This acquisition aims to enhance data processing capabilities and operational efficiency within the logistics sector. ([cargowise.com](https://www.cargowise.com/news/wisetech-global-acquires-industry-leading-data-entry-automation-business-shipamax/?utm_source=openai))
https://www.wisetechglobal.com/media/m4uclmny/wisetech-fy25-results-transcript.pdf - In its fiscal year 2025 earnings presentation, WiseTech Global highlighted the integration of agentic AI-enabled workflow automation into its CargoWise platform. This AI-driven workflow uses AI personas to automate various aspects of trade and logistics, aiming to reduce human bottlenecks and improve operational efficiency. The AI agents can work continuously at a fraction of the cost of manual actions, enhancing speed, accuracy, and productivity. ([wisetechglobal.com](https://www.wisetechglobal.com/media/m4uclmny/wisetech-fy25-results-transcript.pdf?utm_source=openai))
https://www.wisetechglobal.com/news/5-ways-technology-can-improve-the-efficiency-of-your-third-party-logistics-networks/ - WiseTech Global's CargoWise platform offers several features to enhance the efficiency of third-party logistics networks. These include real-time data exchange with multiple third-party agents, reducing manual data entry risks and potential shipment delays. The platform's global licensing and multilingual support facilitate seamless collaboration among international partners, improving visibility and compliance across the supply chain. ([wisetechglobal.com](https://www.wisetechglobal.com/news/5-ways-technology-can-improve-the-efficiency-of-your-third-party-logistics-networks/?utm_source=openai))
https://www.tmasolutions.com/insights/the-impact-of-ai-on-the-logistics-workforce-automation-vs-employment - The article discusses the impact of AI on the logistics workforce, highlighting both risks and opportunities. It notes that automation could affect 50–70% of trucking jobs by 2030, with routine, low-skill roles being most vulnerable. However, it also points out the potential for new job creation, with the World Economic Forum projecting 170 million new roles by 2030, and the emergence of new job categories in robotics, AI supervision, and process engineering. ([tmasolutions.com](https://www.tmasolutions.com/insights/the-impact-of-ai-on-the-logistics-workforce-automation-vs-employment?utm_source=openai))
https://www.ainvest.com/news/wisetech-global-strategic-overhaul-ai-driven-cost-optimization-long-term-creation-logistics-2507/ - The article analyses WiseTech Global's strategic overhaul, focusing on AI-driven cost optimization and long-term value creation in logistics. It details the company's restructuring, including workforce reductions and increased AI integration, aiming to reduce operational inefficiencies and enhance competitiveness. The acquisition of e2open is also highlighted as a move to expand AI-powered supply chain solutions into North America. ([ainvest.com](https://www.ainvest.com/news/wisetech-global-strategic-overhaul-ai-driven-cost-optimization-long-term-creation-logistics-2507/?utm_source=openai))

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative was first reported by Reuters on July 23, 2025, detailing WiseTech Global's decision to reduce its workforce as part of an AI-driven efficiency initiative. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-wisetech-cut-some-jobs-ai-driven-efficiency-push-2025-07-23/?utm_source=openai)) The report highlights that WiseTech did not specify the number of jobs affected but acknowledged the restructuring was tied to AI expansion. The report also mentions that the company employed about 3,500 people across 38 countries as of June 30, 2024. The Inkl article, dated December 3, 2025, appears to be a republished version of the Reuters report, with no significant new information or updates. This suggests that the content is recycled, which may affect its freshness score. Additionally, the Inkl article includes a reference map linking to various sources, including the original Reuters report, indicating that the content is not original. The presence of multiple references to the same information across different platforms suggests a lack of originality. The Inkl article does not provide any new insights or developments beyond the original Reuters report, further indicating a lack of freshness and originality.

Quotes check

Score: 7

Notes: The Inkl article includes direct quotes from WiseTech's CEO Zubin Appoo, such as: > "We have a very strong view that over the next couple of years, as we release more and more AI agents to the industry, we will have a significant impact on labour in logistics providers." These quotes are identical to those found in the Reuters report, indicating that the content is reused. The Inkl article does not introduce any new quotes or perspectives, further suggesting a lack of originality.

Source reliability

Score: 6

Notes: The Inkl article is sourced from AAP (Australian Associated Press), a reputable news agency. However, the article appears to be a republished version of the Reuters report, with no significant new information or updates. This raises questions about the originality and reliability of the content. The reliance on a single source without additional verification or new insights may affect the overall reliability of the narrative.

Plausability check

Score: 9

Notes: The claims made in the narrative align with the information reported by Reuters on July 23, 2025, regarding WiseTech Global's decision to reduce its workforce as part of an AI-driven efficiency initiative. The details about the company's workforce size and the focus on AI expansion are consistent across both reports. The narrative does not introduce any new or surprising claims, and the information is plausible based on the available sources.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is a republished version of the Reuters report from July 23, 2025, with no significant new information or updates. The reliance on a single source without additional verification or new insights raises questions about the originality and reliability of the content. The identical quotes and lack of new perspectives further suggest a lack of originality. Therefore, the narrative fails to meet the standards for freshness and originality.

AI
Logistics
Automation