DHL Express has introduced an AI-powered item identification tool that uses customer photos to generate customs-compliant shipment descriptions, which it says is a first for a live international express booking system.
The feature is now live in eight countries, including South Africa.
The tool allows customers to photograph an item using a smartphone or connected device. The image is processed through a server-side computer vision model, which classifies the item and produces a structured description aligned with international customs documentation requirements. The suggested description is presented to the customer for review and can be edited or overridden before the shipment is submitted. No DHL Express account is required.
