Shipping giant UPS is using artificial intelligence (AI) to crack down on package theft by “porch pirates” and help consumers get what they ordered.
The corporate utilizes a program developed by UPS Capital called DeliveryDefense that uses AI and machine learning to generate a delivery risk assessment based on two years of UPS delivery information, historical loss patterns and address characteristics.
It then generates a rating that retailers can use to recommend one of the best delivery option to make sure a package reaches its intended destination.
“By proactively identifying and addressing potential shipping issues, DeliveryDefense data increases the boldness in a successful delivery,” Mark Robinson, president of UPS Capital, told FOX Business in a press release.
“Retailers can recommend alternative delivery options, comparable to UPS Store locations or other convenient Access Points, to optimize delivery outcomes.”
UPS is utilizing AI to stop “porch pirates” from stealing consumers’ packages after they’re delivered.Getty Images
Package theft is a rising problem for consumers, with one study by Security.org finding that 49 million Americans had no less than one package stolen within the last 12 months as of 2022.
The median value for stolen merchandise was $50 which, based on incident rates and average loss, amounted to $2.4 billion in stolen goods last yr.
DeliveryDefense uses the billions of information points from UPS’ historical delivery data to generate a “Delivery Confidence Rating” on a scale from 1 to 1,000 that indicates the likelihood of a successful delivery.
UPS’ DeliveryDefense uses AI and machine learning to attain the likelihood of successful deliveries. ipopba – stock.adobe.com
In cases where a given address yields a low rating, a merchant can recommend that the patron pick up the product in-store or have it delivered to a UPS Access Point, which might be situated in retail stores or UPS Stores.
The tool is accessible to businesses no matter their size and might be integrated right into a merchant’s order success system using an API, or smaller customers can utilize an internet version of the tool.
Consumers can receive text or email alerts about their package deliveries through the UPS My Selection program.
The tool lets consumers provide instructions about where they need a package delivered at their home or another location like their office, the house of a neighbor or relative, or a UPS Access Point.
The corporate says that over 100 million consumers use the UPS My Selection program.
