EDITOR ’ S COMMENT
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE IMPACT OF AI ON JOBS
ALLAN LEINWAND , CTO , SERVICENOW
According to a recent report from PwC , Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) is expected to raise the global GDP , in 2030 , by 14 % ( approximately US $ 15.7 trillion ). That being said , AI is seen by many as being either a hero or a villain .
On one hand , AI is currently driving nearly every CIO ’ s agenda because it intelligently automates work processes , making it possible to do things that have never been done before . But on the other , many workers are scared of the rise of AI as they believe it is rising from humble beginnings to become a villain that will steal their jobs .
The truth is that some jobs will be lost , but many more will be created . It is important to understand that , fundamentally , AI is not strong at creative , interpersonal or physical work . It will be used for ‘ decision support , not decision making .’ So let ’ s debunk a few myths .
Reduce and simplify
As workers , we want to use automation to get our jobs done . AI will free us from having to spend long hours analysing data and invest that time in achieving a better work – life balance . Information technology , manufacturing , financial services and human resources will all see significant improvement and productivity gains because of AI . These industries have many repetitive tasks that can be easily automated , helping workers become more productive .
The mundane
Workers want to move to more meaningful roles . In fact , according to the Society of Human Resource Professionals , workers , particularly Millennials , want to ‘ create outcomes within meaningful projects and may become impatient with mundane tasks .’
AI can automate the more mundane tasks allowing for new jobs to be created that are more fulfilling , strategic and meaningful . AI can help workers be more productive and efficient at their jobs , while learning new skills . In addition , AI can help workers become better organised , reducing stressors , improving productivity and overall job satisfaction .
Customer satisfaction
The idea behind AI is to create more satisfied customers . Because workers can focus more on the interpersonal and creative parts of their jobs rather than the more mundane , they will treat customers better . In customer support cases , this will be done by employing AI to identify and provide a solution for the issue and utilising a human who can react to nuances for interpersonal communications . Customers will develop loyalty because their needs are met and issues are resolved quicker , more efficiently and with a personal touch .
Convenience
One of the biggest benefits of AI is the convenience to customers . AI allows nearly every aspect of business to occur faster , from identifying and fixing support issues so that workers don ’ t have to drive into the office on weekends to fix a server , to providing more accessibility to information , services and more .
In summary , while AI might result in loss of certain jobs , it is more likely that the amount of work each worker will need to complete will be reduced and simplified rather than eliminated .
Employees will feel more satisfaction in what they do because they can focus less on the mundane and more on the strategic .
Customer satisfaction will increase because customers will have more human interactions , faster , with people who know how to resolve issues they have . In addition , customers will have more convenience than ever before .
Allan Leinwand , CTO , ServiceNow
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