Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the service sector, and within it, moving companies are undergoing significant evolution. From route optimization to process automation and demand forecasting, AI enables greater efficiency, cost reduction, and an improved customer experience. However, its implementation also brings important ethical implications that must be managed responsibly.

Our efforts in delivering peace of mind and satisfaction to our customers within a universe of multiple stakeholders’ interests must reach a common ground: ethical vision and compliance.

Our customers’ expectations through the whole door-to-door process include the demand for efficient, experienced, and most of all, ethically-focused moving operators. But how do we take care that ethical breaches in this machine-oriented world do not affect compliance with our responsibilities as professional movers?

In our commercial area, we firmly believe in emotional marketing. Promotion, public relations, pricing and digital marketing strategies that are measured by conversion indexes, such as prospecting customers, generating quotes, and placing business orders, have a unique recipe: emotions mixed with professionalism through the whole marketing pipeline.

INSA made this marketing approach through an emotion-oriented slogan: moving feelings. This means the use of human essence proactively acting through skills, values and experiences that distinguish us from machines in the AI era.

Human oversight is key in critical decisions. While AI can automate route planning and resource allocation, it is essential to maintain human oversight, especially in complex situations such as claims, lost shipments, and incidents during a move. Ethical business practices require that a human decision-maker is always available to intervene, correct errors, and respond to customers.

INSA has a business model where principles and values are the solid rock foundation of our 67-year-old organization. We even developed a branding called VOLFE, which means truth, optimism, loyalty, faith, and teamwork. When our people including partners, directors, managers, administrative and operational staff have to encounter difficult decisions that risk a breach of ethical or business principles, they must evaluate if the responses and actions derived from that decision are in line with each VOLFE values; if one answer is negative, they look for alternative action that comply with VOLFE.

Can AI make similar human-level decisions? We have proven the answer is NO, simply because machines do not integrate human feelings with ethical behavior and the service-oriented mindset required in all businesses, especially moving services.

Automation in moving services may affect traditional worker roles such as dispatchers, operators, and administrative staff. An ethical approach goes beyond replacing people with technology: it involves investing in training, reskilling, and upskilling employees. This is not only socially responsible but also strengthens organizational culture.

Moving companies handle highly sensitive information such as addresses, inventories of personal belongings, contact details, and consumption habits. AI enhances the analysis of this data but also increases the risk of misuse or data breaches. An ethical approach requires strict data protection policies, secure storage, and limited use strictly for authorized purposes, always respecting customer privacy.

At INSA, we respect and follow the path of business cooperation and reciprocity. Valued personal relationships with our friends and colleagues are a key element; that’s why we belong to the best moving associations in the world. We’re always looking for best business practices that we learn and adopt from these organizations, which allow us to stay updated and in line with potential quality, reciprocity, data protection, technology, financial, and sustainability programs. We configure all these on a single word adopted as the slogan of the IAM Ethics Council: ETHICS: The foundation of trust.

AI is used in a wide range of activities like assigning routes, estimating delivery times, pricing, shipment tracking, and even monitoring the use of technologies, including chatbot and post-operational marketing activities. An ethical approach requires that companies are able to explain how these systems work. It is crucial to establish clear boundaries, inform employees about how these tools are used, and respect their dignity and privacy.

The Human Touch has Made the Difference

At INSA, we have observed within our organization a very interesting phenomenon throughout different business environments. AI overload and excessive automatization has become so unappealing that human interaction has acquired a “premium experience” kind of feeling in today’s business world. Many clients come to us because previous customers emphasis on our personal touch rather than AI problem-solving approach when it comes to their household goods.