The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Competitiveness—An Exploratory Study on Employees in Logistics Companies in Egypt

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption on the competitiveness of logistics companies in Egypt, focusing on its role in enhancing operational efficiency, service quality, and customer satisfaction. Using a post-positivist quantitative approach, data were collected through structured interviews with 41 logistics professionals covering automation adoption, technology cost perception, demographic influences, operational challenges, and competitive outcomes, followed by a questionnaire survey of 384 employees across logistics organization includes three sections related to the two variables artificial intelligence and competitiveness, besides the demographic variables, containing (gender, age, place of residence, years of job experience, position of decision-makers, and company size). The findings indicate that AI implementation significantly improves competitiveness by reducing costs, enhancing productivity, and strengthening customer experience; however, most small and medium-sized firms face reduced efficiency due to early-stage adoption challenges, high implementation costs, weak strategic alignment, poor data quality, limited expertise, and employee resistance. Demographic factors such as age, experience, and company size significantly influenced AI awareness and competitiveness perceptions, while gender, residence, and job role did not. The study confirms a strong positive relationship between AI adoption and business growth, with competitiveness acting as a mediating factor, and concludes that effective, context-aware AI integration—balanced with human expertise—is essential for sustaining competitive advantage in the Egyptian logistics sector.