Barcodes and AI
Barcodes and AI are becoming quite the dynamic duo. Here’s a few ways they intersect:
Automated Scanning
AI-powered systems can use advanced image recognition to read barcodes even if they’re damaged or partially obscured, making scanning more efficient and reliable. AI is the technology behind late-generation super-aggressive scanners
AI and barcodes are teaming up to make things smoother, smarter, and more efficient across various industries.
What could possibly go wrong? Immediately a one-word answer pops up: hallucinations. AI does it all the time.
A Barcodes and AI Scenario
AI helps a scanner decode a heavily overprinted, or damaged, or severely Decodability-distorted barcode. How does AI do this? Are controls built in that confirm—or limit—the AI-influenced result? My best guess: of course there are limits but no scanner manufacturer will share that information. Rather than repeat myself, I refer to an earlier article available here.
Inventory Management
AI algorithms can analyze barcode data to optimize inventory levels, predict demand, and automate reordering processes.
Inventory levels, demand predictions and reordering all depend on accurate barcode data capture by the scanner. The aforementioned concerns apply.
Fraud Detection
AI can track and analyze barcode data to detect patterns of fraudulent activity, such as counterfeit products or theft.
Here the ramifications of scanning errors infiltrate the supply chain. Barcodes are the heart and soul of anti-theft and anti-fraud initiatives. It is a three-dimensional snapshot:
(a) the correct product
(b) at the correct location
(c) at the right time.
The barcode a fraudster puts on a substitute package will probably scan slightly differently than the barcode on the authentic product. It could be better, it could be worse. How will AI support fraud detection under these circumstances.
Personalized Marketing
By analyzing purchasing data from barcodes, AI can help businesses create personalized marketing campaigns tailored to individual customer preferences.
Sounds great. If the barcode was correctly decoded. Admittedly, barcodes work properly a significant majority of the time. How much damage could an incorrectly “enhanced” barcode do? The damage could be almost incalculable.
This raises an important question. Wouldn’t it be better for a bad barcode to simply not scan? It’s really not a question–of course it is better for a bad barcode to not scan. But AI is making it possible for otherwise unreadable barcodes to scan, and that is a good thing. There will be misreads. This pre-dates AI and has always been a risk with badly printed barcodes. Barcodes and AI are indeed becoming a dynamic duo. Barcode verification continues to be as important as ever. AI does not change that.
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John helps companies resolve current barcode problems and avoid future barcode problems to stabilize and secure their supply chain and strengthen their trading partner relationships.