The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Optimising Logistics Processes: Bibliometric Analysis of Current Trends and Research Perspectives

In a context marked by the digital transformation of value chains on a global scale, artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually establishing itself as a major strategic lever in the optimisation of companies' logistics processes. Based on a systematic bibliometric analysis of a corpus of 723 articles indexed in the Scopus database covering the period between 2014 and 2024, this study aims to explore the evolution of scientific production and to quantitatively evaluate relevant work on the role of AI in logistics optimisation. To this end, the study uses the Bibliometrix package under R and VOSviewer to map publication trends, identify the most influential authors, institutions and countries, analyze international collaboration networks, and highlight the main emerging thematic axes in this rapidly expanding field of research. The results show a remarkable evolution in the volume of scientific publications on AI applied to the optimization of logistics processes between 2014 and 2024, with a sharp acceleration from 2021 onwards. This dynamic reflects a growing academic interest stimulated by technological advances; industrial needs and the challenges associated with AI and sustainable, intelligent logistics. Furthermore, keyword mapping, co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling have identified several major areas of research such as smart supply chain management, predictive planning, the resilience of systems and the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into logistics operations. These findings reveal dominant research streams structured around machine learning, sustainable logistics, and supply chain resilience, while also highlighting gaps in the systematic integration of AI into sustainable and resilient logistics models. By providing insights into current scientific trends and strategic directions, this study contributes to enriching the thinking around the growing role of AI in improving logistics competitiveness in the era of Industry 4.0.