FedEx Plans Agent Workforce in Over 50% of Workflows by 2028

FedEx plans to embed artificial intelligence (AI) agents into more than half of its operational workflows by 2028, a move that signals how large enterprises are beginning to deploy AI not just as software tools but as systems that execute operational work.

The logistics giant is integrating agentic AI into core processes such as shipment monitoring, exception handling, workflow coordination and internal software development. The goal is to create what executives describe as an “AI agent workforce” operating alongside employees across the company’s global network.

For FedEx, which moves millions of packages daily across more than 220 countries and territories, the technology could automate large portions of logistics decision-making that currently require manual oversight or traditional rule-based automation.

“Every employee and every task across the globe will get adapted to AI and will improve with AI,” Vishal Talwar, FedEx’s chief digital and information officer, said in describing the company’s AI strategy to the Wall Street Journal.

The initiative reflects a broader shift in enterprise computing as companies begin experimenting with networks of specialized AI agents that coordinate workflows and execute operational tasks across business systems.

AI Agents Move Into Core Logistics Workflows

FedEx’s strategy centers on deploying networks of specialized AI agents that collaborate inside enterprise workflows. These systems are designed to monitor shipments, detect disruptions, analyze data and trigger actions across logistics platforms.

Unlike traditional automation software that follows predefined rules, agentic AI systems are designed to interpret context, plan responses and take action across multiple systems.

In practice, multiple agents may collaborate within a single workflow. One agent could detect a delayed shipment, another might evaluate possible routing options, and a third could update the logistics system to reroute the package.

FedEx executives say these agents will often operate in hierarchical structures. A “manager agent” may oversee a workflow while “worker agents” execute tasks and “audit agents” verify outcomes.

The approach mirrors the structure of a human team, but within enterprise software systems.

The company expects these systems to expand gradually across operational functions, including customer service, marketing workflows and software development.

Robotics and AI Reshape Sorting Centers

AI is also becoming embedded in the physical infrastructure of logistics networks, particularly in automated sorting facilities.

FedEx has been deploying robotics systems that use computer vision and AI to identify packages and route them through sorting systems.

These robots use sensors and cameras to read package labels, measure parcel dimensions and determine routing paths through conveyor networks.

Sorting centers must process enormous volumes while handling parcels of different shapes, weights and destinations. AI-driven robotics can help coordinate these flows more efficiently than manual systems.

The combination of robotics and AI-driven software is allowing logistics companies to automate both the digital and physical layers of their operations.

Digital Labor Emerges Across Supply Chains

FedEx’s push into agentic AI reflects a wider trend across logistics and supply chain industries as companies explore how AI systems can automate operational decisions.

Supply chains generate large volumes of real-time data, from shipment tracking information to warehouse operations and customs documentation. AI systems can analyze that data continuously and trigger operational responses when disruptions occur.

Competitors are experimenting with similar approaches.

UPS, for example, has deployed AI to identify counterfeit products and fraudulent returns amid rising eCommerce volumes. The system analyzes shipping data and product information to detect suspicious packages before they move through distribution networks.

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