Predicting tomorrow’s repairs, today BOX 7 Time series data from sensors are used to help predict when equipment will fail and when maintenance is necessary. GenAI uses new technology to analyse textual information and overcome gaps in data to better understand machine conditions and failure modes. The tools provide more accurate maintenance schedules that integrate into existing business systems. Data analysis systems can create a repository of knowledge based on past cases to ensure the preservation of institutional knowledge, regardless of the experience level of individual technicians. These models can incorporate data in multiple languages, which enhances businesses’ ability to develop wide repositories of knowledge about their equipment and reduce product downtime and failures. Transforming waste into worth BOX 8 AI and robotics can change recycling for EV car batteries. SK Ecoplant aims to use AI tools to determine the location of the battery and bolts, the protocols for extracting the unit and the condition of the parts, including information about broken or missing pieces, enabling the automation of battery pack removal. This information improves the operation of robotics, which are used to unscrew bolts and remove the covers of battery packs. The combination of AI and robotics can increase safety and decrease the processing time for dismantling battery modules by 32%. The company also expects to implement AI and automation to extract battery module cells by 2026, with the goal of improving overall efficiency of recycling operations by 30%. Source: NUS Business SchoolFraud detection The value of counterfeit and pirated products is estimated at $464 billion, constituting 2.5% of world trade. AI is accelerating the transition from linear to circular economy models, which prioritize resource conservation, reuse and waste minimization. Improving supply chain analysis represents one strategy for companies to improve their circularity and strengthen sustainability efforts. AI and blockchain enable this transition by providing the in-depth analytics and visualization required to track product life cycles and identify opportunities for reuse and recycling, promoting transparency, traceability and data-driven decision-making. Concrete applications of AI for circularity include: –Product life cycle extension: AI-powered predictive maintenance and data analytics can extend the lifespan of various goods, ranging from manufacturing equipment to consumer electronics, that can reduce waste (see Box 7). –Waste management: AI and robotics are automating and improving e-waste recycling, especially for minerals in electric batteries, by increasing efficiency and reducing harm to humans (see Box 8). –Emissions tracking: Monitoring Scope 3 emissions allows the environmental impact of a good to be quantified, allowing for more informed decision-making (see Box 2).The growth of electronic commerce (e-commerce) has introduced vast new opportunities for fraud, such as fake reviews, counterfeit products and scams. Estimates suggest that counterfeit and pirated products constitute 2.5% of world trade, or $464 billion in value.11 AI’s data analysis capabilities can flag suspicious transactions. Amazon stopped over 700,000 new accounts from bad actors and identified over 7 million counterfeit products around the world in 2023.12 Similarly, Alibaba identified $159 million worth of counterfeit products between July 2022 and June 2023 and supported law enforcement operations that resulted in 619 arrests and 257 facility closures.13 Fraud detection services also present business opportunities for emerging companies such as Sift, Entrupy and Signifyd, which have also capitalized on technological innovation. While studies suggest an increase in counterfeit products’ infiltration of supply chains, AI can support the detection of sophisticated fakes.14 AI for a circular economy Artificial Intelligence for Efficiency, Sustainability and Inclusivity in TradeTech 14

Artificial Intelligence for Efficiency Sustainability and Inclusivity in TradeTech 2025