Autonomous vehicles, drones, and AI: Transforming modern supply chain management

This article examines the transformative impact of autonomous vehicles, drones, and artificial intelligence/machine learning technologies on modern supply chain management. It explores how these technologies are revolutionizing traditional logistics operations through enhanced efficiency, cost reduction, and sustainability. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the technical foundations, economic impacts, and operational benefits of autonomous vehicles in transportation, the applications of drone technology in warehouse operations and last-mile delivery, and the role of AI/ML as the cognitive backbone of supply chain automation. Furthermore, it addresses integration challenges, including technological barriers, workforce transformation requirements, and ethical considerations, while offering strategic recommendations for organizations and identifying research gaps for future scholarly inquiry. The findings suggest that these technologies collectively enable fundamental operational transformations, shifting supply chains from linear to networked structures, from reactive to predictive decision-making, and from fragmented to integrated information flows, ultimately leading to more resilient, sustainable, and intelligent supply networks.