Logistics software firm Renaissant has launched a new voice-based AI “clerk” to help coordinate shipments — something the company says will improve efficiency while addressing security concerns.
The Milwaukee company yesterday announced the “breakthrough” technology is being piloted at several large sites, following earlier development at UW-Milwaukee’s Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab.
It’s based on an “agentic” AI system, which builds on the more limited generative artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT. While these widely used models can create content like text, images and code based on learned patterns when prompted, agentic AI programs are more autonomous, using generated information to accomplish complex tasks.
An overview from IBM notes traditional AI models operate within predefined limits and require human intervention, while agentic AI “exhibits autonomy, goal-driven behavior and adaptability” within changing environments. The tech company notes that agentic systems could “not only tell you the best time to climb Mt. Everest given your work schedule, it can also book you a flight and a hotel.”
In Renaissant’s case, the newly launched AI sytem interacts with drivers, helping them check in at logistics sites, verify shipment details and determine the next step after arrival. Drivers can speak with the AI program from within their vehicle and in their native language. The company says its AI clerk program is the industry’s “first and only” voice-enabled AI technology.
Tom Dean, Renaissant’s president and CEO, says shipping companies and logistics firms are “often in the dark” about who will be showing up to transport products, causing delays as teams sort out these details on the fly.
“Each minute a driver sits and waits, both the warehouse and driver are losing dollars as their shipments sit idly waiting on people to figure out how to handle the driver,” Dean said in a statement. “As an industry, we owe it to them to build tools that give detailed data on every aspect at the gate, and that’s what we’ve built with our new AI-enabled solution.”
The technology also has applications for safety and security, the company says, as cargo theft has been on the rise nationwide. Yesterday’s announcement notes cargo theft jumped by 40% in 2024 alone, and that trend has continued through this year.
Renaissant first launched in 2018, and has expanded its platform since then to include a full-site logistics operating system, including gate and yard automation, scheduling and other features. It has gotten investment funding from Green Bay’s TitletownTech investment firm, which has a focus on supply chain and logistics, among other industries.
