DHL Supply Chain has partnered with San Francisco-based AI startup HappyRobot to deploy autonomous AI agents that handle phone and email communications across its global operations.
The AI agents manage tasks including appointment scheduling, driver follow-up calls and warehouse coordination. According to DHL, current deployments handle hundreds of thousands of emails and millions of voice minutes annually.
“As part of our structured and strategic approach to AI, DHL Supply Chain has been systematically identifying and validating operational use cases for generative and agentic AI technologies for over 18 months,” said Sally Miller, chief information officer at DHL Supply Chain.
Reducing manual tasks for employees
The technology aims to free employees from repetitive administrative work. Lindsay Bridges, executive vice-president of human resources at DHL Supply Chain, said the agents help staff focus on higher-value tasks.
“AI agents help us relieve our teams from repetitive, time-consuming tasks and give them space to focus on meaningful, high-value work,” Bridges said. “In today’s tight labor markets, where qualified talent is increasingly scarce, these technologies allow us to maintain — and even improve — responsiveness, customer centricity and service consistency, while making roles more attractive and sustainable.”
The company said the deployments have reduced manual effort and increased responsiveness, though it did not provide specific metrics.
Platform handles multiple communication channels
HappyRobot’s platform enables AI agents to interact through phone, email, WhatsApp and SMS while connecting with DHL’s internal systems. Danny Luo, a senior engineer at HappyRobot, said the team created a unified AI worker orchestration layer across these channels.
DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics division of DHL Group, has been testing the technology across several regions. The company said it continues to test additional use cases.
Pablo Palafox, chief executive officer of HappyRobot, said the partnership reflects a shift toward AI agents managing workflows rather than just moving data.
DHL Group generated revenues of approximately 84.2 billion euros in 2024 and employs about 400,000 people in more than 220 countries and territories.
