A surprising result emerged when we solicited opinions from many people who have used AI classifiers.
What was most surprising is that in a 2023 poll, 16% of people had a favorable opinion of AI’s judgment, stating it had “more than 90% accuracy.”
However, this number decreased to 15% in 2025.
In just two years, AI as a whole has been evolving at a tremendous speed, and this remarkable development is astonishing to everyone.
However, AI classifiers seem to be an exception, as an interesting phenomenon is occurring where the number of people who rate them highly is inversely proportional to the development of AI.
Furthermore, HS classification is a challenging task that requires decisions as close to 100% accurate as possible, while also addressing the issue of differing opinions that vary by country and customs officer.
However, in the polls, 70% of respondents answered that the AI only provides ambiguous conclusions such as “some good, some bad” or “depends on the item category.”
Isn’t this a fatal flaw in the work of HS classification? Additionally, with 15% responding that it is “useless,” a total of 85% of people believe that the answers from AI classifiers are not perfect.
From this, we can understand the following two points:
1.
I do not intend to completely negate AI classifiers, because they may have excellent aspects as a co-pilot. However, at present, they can only serve in a supplementary role. It is a terribly dangerous act to declare the decisions of an AI classifier to customs without any knowledge or questioning of the output.
2.
HS classification by human experts is an essential skill, knowledge, and experience that will continue to be needed for a long time to come.
No matter how much AI evolves in the future, the final judgment by expert personnel is essential.
Rather than viewing AI with anxiety about white-collar jobs being replaced, we urge professionals to recognize the enduring value of their role in HS classification.
Your expertise is more crucial than ever and will continue to be in high demand.
Continue to fulfill your duties with pride, knowing you are an essential expert in the future of the trade industry.
