AI / ML
Despite what you may have heard , the rise of robots and AI in the workplace is no reason to panic . Employees can , in fact , supercharge their career opportunities if they adapt to these new technologies , say experts .
But human resources departments and boardrooms will have to successfully surf the wave of change if they are to introduce and promote a virtuous cycle of technology use and valuation in the workplace .
Attention-grabbing headlines about technology laying waste to entire industries could cause business leaders to work with an inaccurate picture of the reality on the ground , a point supported by a Brigham Young University study in the US discovered people are prone to exaggerate the rate at which their careers may be ended by technology .
“ Overall , our perceptions of robots taking over is greatly exaggerated ,” says Brigham Sociology Professor Eric Dahlin . “ Those who hadn ’ t lost jobs overestimated by about double , and those who had lost jobs overestimated by about three times .”
These findings are consistent with previous studies , says Dahlin , suggesting that workplaces integrate employees and robots in ways that generate more value for human labour .
“ An everyday example is an autonomous , self-propelled machine roaming the aisles and cleaning floors at your local grocery store ,” he says . “ This robot cleans the floors while employees clean under shelves or other difficult-toreach places .”
The aviation industry offers another example of robots and humans working together , as Dahlin explains : plane manufacturers have used robots to paint wings at a rate of one coat of paint in 24 minutes , something that would take a human painter hours to accomplish . Humans are nevertheless required to load and unload the paint while the robot does the painting .
AI adds value to individuals and businesses A separate report from MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) found that 60 % of employees
44 February 2023