Humans vs. AI in auto transport and logistics

It seems like almost every day we get some news on the development of artificial intelligence. Back in the day, a program could not stand a chance against a human in chess. Nowadays, AI systems train one another how to play the game and they have become virtually unbeatable.

All would have been fine if AI was only involved in games. However, we all know that artificial intelligence is about to replace drivers. Robots have already taken the jobs of many financial advisors. And now Google has developed an AI customer service.

But is it possible that we are biting off more than we can chew? Should we dread the loss of human connections? Or maybe it is all just fearmongering? Join me in exploring how AI may affect auto transport, logistics, and even the social fabric as a whole!

Our fear of social interactions

Auto transport as a service involves a lot of dealing with clients. However, many big companies have already started to implement automated services. You go to their website, put in some info, and there you go – a calculated shipping fee.

At first glance, this may seem awesome. After all, when was the last time you were eager to talk to a service representative? Even the more extraverted people among us have started to prefer an automated service.

It seems like big logistics companies are just giving us what we want. They would not have done it otherwise, right? Well… maybe it is a bit more complicated than it seems. Let me explain below.

Using AI as a quick fix to uncomfortable socializing

Take a glance at how healthcare is operated right now. You have a problem, you go to the doc, they run some tests, then give you a pill, and all is fine. Now put an AI there – it scans you in seconds, gives you a diagnosis, writes you a prescription, and sends you on your way. That would be the dream. No one really likes the doctor’s office!

The scenario above is going to become reality shortly, do not doubt that. Many doctors already consider what they can do once it hits. However, we are all missing the point. See, artificial intelligence replaces clear-cut processes. If you can describe it in simple steps, an AI can probably do it. Considering healthcare sounds really simple (at least as I have laid it out above), doctors should definitely be afraid then. Only it is not that simple.

The entire issue is that we have trained ourselves to expect a quick fix. Take a pill and chill. Yet a huge shift is going to happen soon, where healthcare will focus mostly on prevention and lifestyle, not on Band-Aid fixes.

Now tell me how an AI can motivate you to change your way of life. How can it guide you with compassion and understanding? How can it tell you softly where you are making a mistake without villainizing you? It cannot. Because social interactions are not step-by-step algorithms.

You are now likely wondering what all this has to do with AI in auto transport. After all, logistics seem fairly algorithmic. Unless we are forgetting something…

Humans vs. AI in auto transport

Humans understand you, machines analyze you. Here on our blog, I have already talked about the difference between shipping a car with local companies vs national auto transporters. However, I now want to explore it in light of automating social interaction.

What is the one thing that is always assumed with automated services? The client’s prior understanding. You are expected to know what the service is and what your needs are. For most people, though, such understanding is rarely the case. And algorithms bank on that.

Let us say that you want car shipping from California to Georgia. You select the route, check the boxes that seem reasonable (like “expedited shipping” or “enclosed transport for more protection”) and get the price. Where is the problem here? You may end up paying a lot more for services you do not really need. But that is your fault, right? After all, the AI is just doing its job.

As an alternative, you can reach out to a customer rep, who actually wants to help you. Sure, you may dread the interaction, but reputable companies invest a lot in proper customer care. Thus, good reps will tell you everything you have to know. Here are just some of the details they can give you in a short conversation:

• Auto transport type and uses – Human agent will tell you about the differences between different types of transport and advise you on which one will suit you the best.
• White-glove service information – Customer service rep will inform you about what premium services include, without pushing them on you.
• Pick-up and drop-off details – Human agent will explain the entire shipping process, what is expected of you, how pick-up and drop-off work, among other things.
• Car preparation tips – You may not be aware that certain steps need to be taken in order to assure your car’s safety. Our customer care staff can tell you all about that as well.
• Up-to-date personalized price quote  – Human agent will give you a free car shipping quote that is tailored to the exact service you need. No flat fees, no pre-made packages with useless services, no artificially inflated prices.

Of course, a lot of these things you can research on your own. But can we seriously expect and require it from most people? I think companies are responsible to inform their clients properly. This is one of the reasons why we have so many informative posts on our site. At which step of the process will an AI properly inform you then? And would it even be reasonable for it to do it?

This is my final point against automated quotes (and AI service reps), which is also the scariest. It is the fact that algorithms are designed to improve themselves. In what aspect do you think they are going to do it though? Profit maximization is the only logical answer here. That is why informing you will not exactly be their top priority.

I do not think it is unreasonable to imagine that a properly trained AI can squeeze a lot of money from a single customer. Maybe it sounds far-fetched now, but hey, phones were not smart 15 years ago. Now they can answer questions for you, analyze your food, and even read texts. How far away are we then from the perfect salesperson being an AI?

What do you think about automation in the service fields?

I am generally in favor of advancing tech. Nonetheless, I have also learned that we must be cautious when it comes to things we do not understand. Social media has made us less social than ever. We are one of the richest societies on Earth, yet depression is on the rise. We just do not know if we are not shooting ourselves in the foot by cutting off the human factor even more.

What do you think though? Do you prefer to never have to talk to a human customer rep ever again? Or can you see the value in having a fellow human being on the other side? Maybe I am a bit too scared of a non-existent problem. Or maybe we still fail to understand the depths of human psychology.