The role of the supply chain planner isn’t going away, no matter the advancements in technology, says Cristina Carvallo, senior director at Gartner. The job of the planner is changing dramatically because of supply chain uncertainty, and while artificial intelligence will automate some functions, a human planner's judgment will still be required to support some of the more complex decisions. Nevertheless, the planner needs AI literacy and strong supply chain and business acumen in order to evaluate plans the technology creates. A company needs a “pipeline” of talent that can learn additional skills and move up to higher-level positions. “Our predictions are that organizations that stop hiring early talent today will pay a premium in a few years because they will still need this talent for the future.”