Agents Hit Trust Roadblock With Logistics Execs; Anthropic Targets OpenAI Customers

Artificial intelligence agents designed to make decisions for their customers are all the rage. But as companies developing agents make their pitches, they’re going to have to figure out how to quell customers’ trust issues and skepticism. 

I could see this dynamic at Manifest, an e-commerce and logistics conference I attended in Las Vegas this week, where startups debuted AI agents to big potential customers such as DHL, Target and Unilever. I tallied at least 10 providers of agents to handle various parts of the supply chain, from choosing the right kind of box for an e-commerce delivery to calling up trucking companies and handling rate negotiations.