Workplace Transformations Due to AI and Robotics May Be Beneficial, Opines Pega Research
In a groundbreaking study conducted by Pegasystems, senior executives from various key industry sectors, including finance, insurance, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications and media, and government, have expressed their views on the increased role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotic automation in the future workplace.
The study suggests that AI will transform the way people work, are managed, and rewarded. A significant finding is that the use of unbiased machine intelligence to analyze employee effectiveness could help level the playing field for equal pay issues.
Two thirds (66 percent) of respondents believe the widespread use of AI will give rise to a more transparent meritocracy in the workplace. This belief is further bolstered by the fact that eighty-eight percent of respondents are comfortable working together with machines.
AI is expected to empower human employees with more autonomy, according to 78 percent of respondents. It is also believed to improve customer service, as stated by 62 percent of respondents. AI-augmented employees are expected to generate more efficiency, according to 73 percent of respondents.
The study reveals that seven out of 10 respondents believe the term 'workforce' will evolve to include both humans and machine intelligence. Forty-four percent see this happening within five years. AI is expected to flatten traditional management hierarchies, according to 78 percent of respondents.
AI is expected to play a crucial role in evaluating employee performance, with almost three quarters (74 percent) thinking that within 10 years, AI will become standard practice for this purpose. Eighty-seven percent agree it will be commonplace for AI to suggest next-best actions for most customer service agents within the next five years. Eighty-four percent also agree it will be commonplace for AI to calculate the true value added by each worker within a decade.
However, there are concerns about the shift towards temporary staff and the impact it might have on cultivating an ongoing culture of customer centricity. Eighty-one percent believe this shift will make it harder to do so.
Interestingly, more than three quarters (77 percent) of respondents expect AI to help ensure customers receive the same level of personalization from one worker to another in the gig economy. Nine out of 10 respondents will use analytics to achieve this.
Despite the benefits, there are apprehensions about AI-powered bosses. Four out of five (79 percent) respondents are not comfortable with this notion.
The study by Pegasystems highlights the significant impact AI and robotic automation will have on the future of work. It underscores the need for businesses to adapt and embrace this change to remain competitive and provide superior customer service.
It's important to note that a separate study by the Wissenschaftliches Institut für Verkehrswesen (WIVW) on human-machine cooperation in highly automated driving also supports these findings, indicating a broader consensus on the role of AI in transforming various aspects of our lives.
