AI is Creating a New Competitive Divide Across Transport, Logistics and Defense, New Report From Oliver Wyman Forum Finds
Oliver Wyman Forum, the think tank of Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting and a business of Marsh (NYSE:MRSH), today released The Industrial AI Divide: How AI Leaders Are Pulling Ahead Across Transportation, Logistics, and Defense, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley.
Drawing on insights from more than 50 senior executives and experts across the transportation, logistics, and defense (TLD) sector, along with Oliver Wyman Forum executive surveys, consumer research, and market analysis, the report examines the industry’s widening AI gap and what CEOs and boards must do to remain competitive.
Only 8% of TLD CEOs report using AI at scale, but those early movers are already seeing gains through AI-enabled, interconnected transportation systems that improve safety, performance, and costs. For example, among transportation, aviation and automotive companies executing AI strategies, 12% report AI-enabled revenue gains exceeding 20%, which was the highest of any industry surveyed.
But among companies not deploying AI at scale, the divide is widening. Fewer than one-third of CEOs in industrials, aerospace, and defense say they are even piloting AI, compared with 49% of CEOs overall. As AI leaders accumulate operational experience, proprietary data, and governance capabilities, companies that delay adoption risk falling further behind in efficiency, production speed, cost reduction, and revenue growth.
Opportunities to scale AI vary across the TLD sector. In rail, AI-driven coordination across transportation networks could reduce fuel consumption by up to 45% while improving travel times by more than 30%. In aviation, early leaders in air mobility could benefit from a market projected to grow from $3.1 billion in 2030 to $7.6 billion by 2035. Capturing these opportunities will require organizations to align investment, governance, talent, operating models, and financial accountability around high-impact AI initiatives.
"Waiting for the perfect AI model is a high-risk strategy, and the cost of catching up increases with every missed development cycle. Operational maturity in AI must be built over multi-year horizons and cannot be purchased," said Tom Stalnaker, Partner and Global Head of Transportation and Advanced Industrials.
Moving AI strategy and investment from the IT department to the C-suite is critical to accelerating adoption at scale. Yet many TLD companies still treat AI as an IT initiative rather than an enterprise-wide business priority. "Decisions on scaling AI belong in the C-suite and boardrooms of companies in transport, logistics and defense," said Jean-Pierre Cresci, Partner, Global Head of Rail, and Head of Transportation and Services, Europe at Oliver Wyman. "AI must be treated as a catalyst to transform core operating models and reshape the way value is created."
AI's greatest impact will come from optimizing and orchestrating transportation and logistics systems, not simply automating individual tasks. "Modern data infrastructure and AI-ready talent enable companies to truly transform their operations, while guardrails for AI's risks and constraints must be embedded into new operating models," said Ana Kreacic, Partner, Chief Knowledge Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Oliver Wyman Forum.
About Oliver Wyman Forum
Oliver Wyman is a business of Marsh (NYSE:MRSH), a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. The Oliver Wyman Forum is a community of senior leaders in business, government, and society dedicated to addressing the biggest forces shaping our future. Through forward-looking research and dialogue, we turn diverse perspectives into clearer thinking and bolder action — reshaping industries, navigating global change and complexity, and reimagining leadership.
About Marsh
Marsh (NYSE:MRSH) is a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit corporate.marsh.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
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